tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68807279565476699712024-03-13T03:12:12.772-08:00HoodooQHeader by http://cutencool-itkupilli.blogspot.com/Paulinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730716060906158244noreply@blogger.comBlogger728125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6880727956547669971.post-91879109172375711952013-09-14T19:54:00.000-08:002013-09-16T12:37:24.267-08:00Herbal Wise: The Benefits of Celery<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Back in the far away (and very hazy) day I used to dance ballet. Those days were over fast when I realized two things: those (comparatively) huge boobs were not going to work and and my right knee was trouble from the get go. Hey, it was fun while it lasted.<br />
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To the point, though, I still have problems with my knee. It pops and pains and I wear a soft brace made from bamboo charcoal fiber most days just to keep the darn thing in line. Recently though, due more to the fact that I often research possible helpful solutions for my daughter's Juvenile Idiopathic (they used to call it "Rheumatoid") Arthritis than any interest in my own uncooperative joint, I have found a surprisingly simple solution. Celery.<br />
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It turns out that celery seed has been of long standing assistance to those with joint pain. According to Andrew Chevallier in <i>The Visual Reference Guide to Herbal Remedies</i>, celery is a "... good detoxification remedy, celery stem, leaf and seed stimulate the kidneys to clear waste... especially helping to cleanse salts that accumulate in joints, causing stiffness and inflammation."<br />
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Celery seed in particular is of great assistance in this process, and can be found at health food stores and herbalists in capsule form. Both my daughter and I take one capsule daily to the benefit of our sore joints. I won't say that it has completely alleviated our symptoms like some miracle but celery seed has certainly helped.<br />
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An added bonus here is that celery seed, and more specifically the juice of the celery stem, can help in detoxifying and moving unwanted fluids along. If you are prone to swollen ankles after a long day at your desk, a nice infusion of celery juice in an evening green tea will help move those fluids along and make you less gargantuan in the lower extremities after a long day.<br />
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But Pauline, you say; this is HQ. We're not here to have our piggies de-bloatified by some silly celery tea. What will celery do for us magickly gosh darn it?<br />
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Hold your horses, as they used to say. I've got that for you too.<br />
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Use celery in your cooking not only to help your dreaming hint at the future but to bring peace and harmony to your home and your family.<br />
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Most often, celery - particularly in the form of seed - is used to encourage psychism. Crush and bruise a few celery seeds, then wrap them in a muslin bag or a coffee filter and brew them into a tea with very hot water to help you along in your card, crystal ball, pendulum or other readings. The celery tea is said to open the third eye to visions of the future and what might be the best path for anyone you are reading for - including yourself.<br />
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You can make a mojo bag for psychic vision by placing equal parts anise, calendula, poppy flower and celery seed into a muslin or yellow flannel bag with intention. Place the mojo in your pillow case and sleep on it nightly to encourage your psychic ability. Carry it - if you dare - into haunted places to see the ghosties and ghoulies that walk the night. The mojo is best held in your left - receptive - hand for this purpose but beware: this practice can encourage an attraction making an unwelcome entity glom on to you and follow you home. Not a very pleasant experience and one that can only be avoided by proper and careful warding beforehand.<br />
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In the end, celery is both a practical and spiritual plant that can help in myriad different ways and on various levels. Use it wisely, and the benefits will be manifest happily. <i>Bonne chance ~</i><br />
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<i>Header: Found on Tumblr; isn't the internet amazing?</i>Paulinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730716060906158244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6880727956547669971.post-80942962006791618562013-08-11T00:06:00.002-08:002013-08-11T00:07:40.134-08:00The Art of Beauty: We Are Not All So Small<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTG0QgJSEdAbmTZlU9kadrpxgIxdBpMpl9Nmt9CAB9lkGVnFOI37SpOffcmAHRHMrcYT8l9khx91QWon3-oRK-k9IFJ5AAu_UrpWd3iyodjIPWW5Qe_mwNNAhuQl14Weu0q4Juef3BWrw/s1600/Hilda+Pin+Up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTG0QgJSEdAbmTZlU9kadrpxgIxdBpMpl9Nmt9CAB9lkGVnFOI37SpOffcmAHRHMrcYT8l9khx91QWon3-oRK-k9IFJ5AAu_UrpWd3iyodjIPWW5Qe_mwNNAhuQl14Weu0q4Juef3BWrw/s400/Hilda+Pin+Up.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
I work hard in a toxic environment. There is nothing I can do about that, needing the job and all, but stories come to my mind and they have their own way of being and so - here we go:<br />
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I work with a woman who is obsessed with her looks and her size. At a 30-something average she believes that fake boobs, botox and zero calorie count will win her immorality.<br />
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Meanwhile I roam the halls with one boob and a good attitude.<br />
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Go figure.<br />
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Thanks to my dearest of dear friends Undine I now know what's what in the way of body image. Enter my new best friend <a href="http://www.messynessychic.com/2013/08/02/americas-forgotten-pin-up-girl/">Hida</a>. Seriously. This girl is all that. And her best friend is an odd dog. What could possibly be better?<br />
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Thank you Hilda. Thank you <a href="http://www.messynessychic.com/">Messy Nessy</a>. And especially thank you <a href="http://www.messynessychic.com/2013/08/02/americas-forgotten-pin-up-girl/">Undine</a>. On a bleak and barren Friday, all y'all brought joy to my quiet, weird, bizarrely silent corner of the world.<br />
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<i>Header: The great and glorious Hilda wasting her time on a scale </i>Paulinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730716060906158244noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6880727956547669971.post-81577519137086176002013-05-12T13:14:00.002-08:002013-05-12T13:14:20.745-08:00Dimanche: Swimming<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPEl7wYeJVLC4vTYcQurHuxmkc4Rp3wkoasXUbY_Ej5GeJFpaWwX_iZiFKUsPDKwaknnOZ-P2humAsUDJYaqIXjvh9KgFHis04P69yXXmuwh7HxaEK2TSV3S8GZMj_T5avF9Hbo2LucNI/s1600/Title+Unknown+by+Arnold+Armitag+via+American+Gallery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPEl7wYeJVLC4vTYcQurHuxmkc4Rp3wkoasXUbY_Ej5GeJFpaWwX_iZiFKUsPDKwaknnOZ-P2humAsUDJYaqIXjvh9KgFHis04P69yXXmuwh7HxaEK2TSV3S8GZMj_T5avF9Hbo2LucNI/s400/Title+Unknown+by+Arnold+Armitag+via+American+Gallery.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Painting by Arnold Armitage via <a href="http://americangallery.wordpress.com/2013/05/05/arnold-armitage-1899-1991/">American Gallery </a></i></div>
Paulinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730716060906158244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6880727956547669971.post-90901842325731447152013-05-11T13:01:00.002-08:002013-05-11T13:01:53.575-08:00Samedi: The Art of Beauty<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrGTmkBBkb1TSzFZKl4bnSBdWy0_9j6_YcdyxynCBS8Y3xAxIexAeveeilaXyUpJTSNbJ4DDaJf_xnJEm0tcc0ID_e1vuN0UURzplk9W1xUgAUlFXrKjYXu0AdrSEJX9YnIL6N83cgtAo/s1600/Fashion+Plate+c+1790+via+The+Joyful+Molly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrGTmkBBkb1TSzFZKl4bnSBdWy0_9j6_YcdyxynCBS8Y3xAxIexAeveeilaXyUpJTSNbJ4DDaJf_xnJEm0tcc0ID_e1vuN0UURzplk9W1xUgAUlFXrKjYXu0AdrSEJX9YnIL6N83cgtAo/s400/Fashion+Plate+c+1790+via+The+Joyful+Molly.jpg" width="371" /></a></div>
Over at "The Joyful Molly", Molly Joyful has been treating us to more and more eclectic fare. Once a site for all things Royal Navy, Molly is now exploring everything from Medieval land disputes to fashion. My hat is off to you there, girl. And thus, a link.<br />
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The above engraving is from a pamphlet entitled <i>Gallery of Fashion, Month of November 1795</i> which fell into Molly's hands to everyone's - well - joy. More pictures and elaboration can be found at her post <a href="http://joyfulmolly.wordpress.com/2013/04/17/gallery-of-fashion-ladys-18th-century-fashion-guide/">here</a>. As we can see from this picture, though, England had a bit of a time pulling itself out of the old hard corsets and <i>paniers </i>era of the 1770s and moving into the classical inspired fashions known as Empire (not empire, by the way, which always sets my teeth on edge: it's pronounce <i>om-PEER</i>). Unlike Paris, which had that messy revolution to jolt it into nearly nude fashions, London stubbornly clung to billowing skirts and properly covered cleavage. No wonder a British sailor loved a stop in a French port of the late 18th century.<br />
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In fact the British, and the Americans outside of racy New Orleans, tended to like their Empire gowns with a bit more fabric than the French. A pity, I think, but no one was asking me.<br />
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All that said, those gloves are stunning.<br />
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Not in the mood for fashion? How about a little something else 18th century and French: magick. The Appendix blog has a wonderfully scholarly evaluation by professor Lisa Smith of a circa 1718, handwritten book entitled <i>Recueille de diferents secrets (Collection of Different Secrets)</i>. Find it <a href="http://theappendix.net/issues/2013/4/bespelled-in-the-archives">here </a>and learn how to do everything from repel snakes to stop field fires. This incredible archive of folk-magic and religion proves that "The Enlightenment" hadn't quite taken hold the way Rousseau might have hoped.<br />
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And with that, I will leave you to your <i>Samedi</i>. <i>Bonne chance </i>~Paulinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730716060906158244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6880727956547669971.post-3600819845602896002013-05-05T12:54:00.000-08:002013-05-05T13:00:25.608-08:00Dimanche: Swimming<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip8U7t156jNAKi_X2S8kE__X4zXy396AYy4JjLE3Zhp_tmXmWk-QFPdKtyb-5H9Xy1U-c4vryBTUDuJz7MIZxDo2QHqjQqqyNAe7PbZjR2DMJ2ZW_-sIeiiRIPbwF5aLd6BF4TJewXEHc/s1600/Marylin+Monroe+by+Anthony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip8U7t156jNAKi_X2S8kE__X4zXy396AYy4JjLE3Zhp_tmXmWk-QFPdKtyb-5H9Xy1U-c4vryBTUDuJz7MIZxDo2QHqjQqqyNAe7PbZjR2DMJ2ZW_-sIeiiRIPbwF5aLd6BF4TJewXEHc/s400/Marylin+Monroe+by+Anthony.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Marilyn on a faux fur ready for a post-photo swim via <a href="http://midcenturyblog.tumblr.com/">Mid-Century</a></i></div>
Paulinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730716060906158244noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6880727956547669971.post-90111969670165583782013-04-21T13:22:00.002-08:002013-04-21T13:22:42.544-08:00Dimanche: Swimming<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqvchB0hqscYgUkOLt2LW8duG9EcFtpmeyfzTwQDN8Axs40SVKEDqa_7hg_sEk-0fEaoUp6Yv9fNCF-bqMkn_7VBggakv2Aug_OJddrx-IlV2mNilIlb5z-4QO1ghh-bjytjt0lyhLb8/s1600/Elizabeth+Taylor+by+the+pool+date+unknown+via+MidCentury.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqvchB0hqscYgUkOLt2LW8duG9EcFtpmeyfzTwQDN8Axs40SVKEDqa_7hg_sEk-0fEaoUp6Yv9fNCF-bqMkn_7VBggakv2Aug_OJddrx-IlV2mNilIlb5z-4QO1ghh-bjytjt0lyhLb8/s400/Elizabeth+Taylor+by+the+pool+date+unknown+via+MidCentury.jpg" width="318" /></a></div>
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<i>Elizabeth Taylor by the pool, date of photo unknown via <a href="http://midcenturyblog.tumblr.com/">Mid-Century</a></i></div>
Paulinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730716060906158244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6880727956547669971.post-87551603649190861712013-04-20T14:21:00.002-08:002013-04-20T14:21:31.800-08:00Samedi: Curios<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78bhSyIeXtP3il_D_G_BPVYVwL88MnLegYXaxScDR_RigZOPVWxieLx3PDx4CFz6S-tZLOvXqTwkuhmf6lgjJ5BvWSR-fwD2umLnsAkFwqwvAkR1_XZe-Si_IIEi68G4EwiQ1oU9YP1c/s1600/Orpheus+and+Eurydice+by+Michael+PutzRichard+via+Old+Paint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78bhSyIeXtP3il_D_G_BPVYVwL88MnLegYXaxScDR_RigZOPVWxieLx3PDx4CFz6S-tZLOvXqTwkuhmf6lgjJ5BvWSR-fwD2umLnsAkFwqwvAkR1_XZe-Si_IIEi68G4EwiQ1oU9YP1c/s400/Orpheus+and+Eurydice+by+Michael+PutzRichard+via+Old+Paint.jpg" width="317" /></a></div>
The beautiful, sea-blue stone known as aquamarine is an ancient talisman of those devoted to the sea. As I am thoroughly missing the blue water right now, I find it is high time to discuss the crystal most precious to my <i>lwa</i>, La Siren.<br />
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Aquamarine, a variety of beryl, has been used as a talisman and made into beads and pendants since the dawn of civilization. Beads of aquamarine have been found in Sumerian and Egyptian burials from as early at 4,000 BCE, when bead making was just taking off as an art form. The stone was thought to ease the soul's transition from life into afterlife, probably a stunning psychological trauma that needed - and needs - all the easing it can get.<br />
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The stone has long been believed to enhance psychic power, and is a favorite of those who work in the business of divination. Scott Cunningham, in his <i>Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic</i>, gives a simple yet powerful ritual for enhancing one's psychism and empathy. Place an aquamarine of any size, even the smallest bead will do, in a glass of fresh water and let this sit in the light of a full moon for three hours. Retrieve the stone, which you might want to tuck away wherever you store your divining tools, and drink the water to achieve increased psychic awareness. This ritual can be repeated as often as necessary.<br />
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Probably because of its color, aquamarine is associated with seafaring and safety on the water. The Phoenicians, whom the Ancient Egyptians simply referred to as "The Sea People," sent their men out into blue water with amulets of aquamarine to protect them from storms and drowning. Fishermen along the coasts of Europe and North Africa still wear aquamarine for this purpose. Tuck an aquamarine in your luggage, or wear one on your person, when you travel by or over water to safely arrive at your destination.<br />
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Aquamarine can also be used in the same ways one would use amethyst. Wear it to inspire courage, calm, joy, happiness and strong relationships as well as keep the mind alert. <i>Bonne chance ~</i><br />
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<i>Header: Orpheus and Eurydice by Michael Putz-Richard via <a href="http://oldpainting.tumblr.com/">Old Paint</a></i>Paulinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730716060906158244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6880727956547669971.post-44891896575703243662013-04-18T18:36:00.003-08:002013-04-18T18:36:45.270-08:00Jeudi: The Art of Beauty<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPGta8huObPST0GGET4Uc-kYQJBZRM4cikcPZ6v1Yg4HTDUnXAIGN2xPmTGxiiuNmaAJCNCoS4RwmlB363JVuh_EGEvhBLSaVRSBirZLgXmbntUEHzleajgoYR4HWIHHr1OBhVRWIj0So/s1600/Joyce+Bryant+photo+by+Philippe+Halsman+c+1953+via+We+Had+Faces+Then.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPGta8huObPST0GGET4Uc-kYQJBZRM4cikcPZ6v1Yg4HTDUnXAIGN2xPmTGxiiuNmaAJCNCoS4RwmlB363JVuh_EGEvhBLSaVRSBirZLgXmbntUEHzleajgoYR4HWIHHr1OBhVRWIj0So/s400/Joyce+Bryant+photo+by+Philippe+Halsman+c+1953+via+We+Had+Faces+Then.jpg" width="316" /></a></div>
Once again, a picture says more than any writer ever could. The glorious Joyce Bryant photographed in New York circa 1953 by the incredible artist Philippe Halsman. Find out more about this amazing woman, and hear her distinctive, four-octave voice, <a href="http://concreteloop.com/2010/12/cl-history-spotlight-joyce-bryant-2">here</a>. Fashion forward then; fashion forward now. Many thanks to <a href="http://wehadfacesthen.tumblr.com/">We Had Faces Then</a> on tumblr for the original post.Paulinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730716060906158244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6880727956547669971.post-43590209136226788582013-04-14T11:23:00.002-08:002013-04-14T11:23:30.637-08:00Dimanche: Swimming<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkdbTYJecJaUr9yLgJ7DRD2L1JiFNxsvQVV92DtXGLFSYBdAc2FgqoHEyVDTRi8GxIu5RHb3pYuJ58UYkmSk7rWVI6DI6FpwORKmh1s-i8TFRhpur-7GSSyjMLUATFt_Va1B26mVGt7mM/s1600/Marilyn+by+the+pool+via+A+Harlots+Progress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkdbTYJecJaUr9yLgJ7DRD2L1JiFNxsvQVV92DtXGLFSYBdAc2FgqoHEyVDTRi8GxIu5RHb3pYuJ58UYkmSk7rWVI6DI6FpwORKmh1s-i8TFRhpur-7GSSyjMLUATFt_Va1B26mVGt7mM/s400/Marilyn+by+the+pool+via+A+Harlots+Progress.jpg" width="326" /></a></div>
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<i>Marilyn by the pool via <a href="http://a-harlots-progress.tumblr.com/">A Harlot's Progress</a></i></div>
Paulinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730716060906158244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6880727956547669971.post-18781864059534764382013-04-13T14:29:00.001-08:002013-04-13T14:29:49.491-08:00Samedi: Herbal-Wise<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgldTRG4PChHZ36Gq0w8mTP4_WMSjc9q-bV2rPIp3gu0aNmN3taJgG4M_UAOd38D-gUizbX8w75M0qviSVd3_XDN708i-IZFwyvlBrOVmsDbjMoj7ifzpr_8axENRq_Tr8vpeeuXEfGaKQ/s1600/Harrods+catalogue+cover+early+20th+c+via+A+Harlots+Progress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgldTRG4PChHZ36Gq0w8mTP4_WMSjc9q-bV2rPIp3gu0aNmN3taJgG4M_UAOd38D-gUizbX8w75M0qviSVd3_XDN708i-IZFwyvlBrOVmsDbjMoj7ifzpr_8axENRq_Tr8vpeeuXEfGaKQ/s400/Harrods+catalogue+cover+early+20th+c+via+A+Harlots+Progress.jpg" width="252" /></a></div>
The herb known as Grains of Paradise is extremely versatile. Used in hoodoo, Voudon, and Wicca for everything from getting a job to protecting one's home, Grains of Paradise are also known as African or Guinea pepper grains.<br />
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Scott Cunningham says that Grains of Paradise can be used for the simplest kind of magick: wishing. Take a handful of the herb and hold it in both hands while you make a wish. Visualize your wish coming true; take your time here and really see the thing/change you desire. When you are certain your wish has been firmly grounded in future reality, send it off to the Universe by throwing a little bit of the herb to the four directions, starting in the North and ending in the West. This type of magick is a wonderful way to grow your powers of visualization. Start with something small and work your way up to more serious wishing.<br />
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In hoodoo, Grains of Paradise are mixed with frankincense and myrrh to encourage spiritual pursuits and protect a root worker during conjuration. The mixture is burned on charcoal and some workers add rue as well. It is said that this mixture added to Crown of Success Oil can make a powerful dressing for mojos intended to help one rise to the height of their profession and/or to draw fame. I would caution, however, that one be careful what one wishes for here.<br />
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For piece of mind and spiritual health, one Grain of Paradise should be disolved into a cup of hot water (tea or coffee will work just as well) and drunk daily. This mixture is also said to elevate the mood and make one capable of facing whatever life may bring.<br />
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In the early 20th century, Grains of Paradise were recommended for job-seekers. One was instructed to put nine of the grains in each shoe and then to hold another nine grains in the mouth while asking for a job. The grains were then spit onto the ground outside the employer's property as one left. This may not be the best way to approach this working today; try carrying the extra nine grains in a mojo bag and then - perhaps wrapped in a tissue - deposit this into a waste basket on the employer's premises.<br />
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New Orleans voodoo root workers would make a pair of protection packets filled with Grains of Paradise. Generally made of red or yellow flannel, a prayer card of Saint Michael was then sewn onto the outside of each mojo. These were secreted near the front and back doors of a house to keep both the structure and the inhabitants safe from all manner of ills. <i>Bonne chance ~</i><br />
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<i>Header: Harrods catalog cover - once a wish book to end all wish books - from the early 20th century via <a href="http://a-harlots-progress.tumblr.com/">A Harlot's Progress</a></i>Paulinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730716060906158244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6880727956547669971.post-65911162148374054732013-04-07T13:06:00.000-08:002013-04-07T13:06:09.160-08:00Dimanche: Swimming<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOdJGck1zJt4nfJNGWVchT63zlBRC2T7dWN7pA8r5vCIPNJ15QbF1MsppTdiCEOCskBnzI8Bh-V3Za1EO8z6KPf7dgeMhAbHILdpgovwdxekCW2d5SEIC1kwJ_0lPJEIk4t5JC0CBiwR0/s1600/Woman+in+Water+by+James+W+Johnson+via+American+Gallery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOdJGck1zJt4nfJNGWVchT63zlBRC2T7dWN7pA8r5vCIPNJ15QbF1MsppTdiCEOCskBnzI8Bh-V3Za1EO8z6KPf7dgeMhAbHILdpgovwdxekCW2d5SEIC1kwJ_0lPJEIk4t5JC0CBiwR0/s400/Woman+in+Water+by+James+W+Johnson+via+American+Gallery.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Woman in Water by James W. Johnson via <a href="http://americangallery.wordpress.com/2013/04/01/james-w-johnson-1954/">American Gallery</a></i></div>
Paulinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730716060906158244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6880727956547669971.post-13801693609178383492013-04-06T16:00:00.000-08:002013-04-06T19:13:27.131-08:00Samedi: Chthonian Histories<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpaRrTGzn3FvXFmzc5x_sRvwFQW_caClwZZ7pcU2XJ8V6QGiZYq0zZrH4ds_V-avkjajReAGSw_IdOrgI8l6bKdoDsejKL7uIh410jKtT6EoeoNBDazVuda5-Ux6o-WhVO9DhVnTx22WM/s1600/R+F+Damiens+before+the+judges+contemporary+engraving+via+Wikimedia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpaRrTGzn3FvXFmzc5x_sRvwFQW_caClwZZ7pcU2XJ8V6QGiZYq0zZrH4ds_V-avkjajReAGSw_IdOrgI8l6bKdoDsejKL7uIh410jKtT6EoeoNBDazVuda5-Ux6o-WhVO9DhVnTx22WM/s400/R+F+Damiens+before+the+judges+contemporary+engraving+via+Wikimedia.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
We were watching <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120689/"><i>The Green Mile</i></a> last night and I began thinking about the pros and cons, for lack of a better expression, of capital punishment. It has certainly been proven that certain types of offenders, child molesters as an example that fits the topic, are not likely to be "rehabbed". Their rate of re-offense is virtually 100% and considering the lives they destroy, the argument for destroying them holds weight. But, continuing on the theme of the movie, when one sees a death such as that of poor Eduard Delacroix one can easily make a case for deleting the institution all together. Then, too, when John Coffey tells Paul Edgecomb that he's "tired of the pain, boss" we understand. Who wouldn't rather be executed than caged?<br />
<br />
All this brings me to the horrific yet curious story of Robert Francois Damiens. Born in a small hamlet in the northern French province of Arras circa 1715, Damiens quite literally never amounted to much. He was apparently dishonorably discharged from the army and then held a series of jobs as a servant or laborer from which he was usually dismissed as well. He was probably bipolar, but who knew of such things then?<br />
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Damiens claim to fame, or infamy as it may be, was a half-hearted attempt on the life of King Louis XV. Damiens stabbed the king as he was descending a carriage and then made no attempt to escape. The king was subjected to a mere flesh wound, and perhaps a bit of embarrassment, but Damiens would suffer far, far worse.<br />
<br />
Hauled off to a hasty trial, Damiens ranted and raved so much that he was tied down to a mattress when brought before his judges (as shown in the engraving above via Wikimedia). He was quickly convicted of attempted regicide and sentenced to die quite literally by torture. The last days of Robert Francois Damiens and Agnes, the miller's daughter hold much in common.<br />
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Like Agnes, Damiens became curiously stoic as the hour - or hours - of his death drew near. In his <a href="http://books.google.com/books/about/Death.html?id=Qw9_AIaAqqoC">book</a> <i>Death, A History of Man's Obsessions and Fears</i>, Robert Wilkins quotes from a contemporary source which describes Damiens' honorable behavior in the face of unbearable misery. Damiens had his skin seared with hot sulphur and then the executioner took steel pincers "which had been especially made for the occasion,, and which were about a foot and a half long" and ripped chunks of flesh from Damiens' calves, thighs, arms and chest. The contemporary source goes on to tell us that "though a strong, sturdy fellow, this executioner found it so difficult to tear away the pieces of flesh that he set about the same spot two or three times, twisting the pincers as he did so..." After this, each wound was filled with molten lead.<br />
<br />
Damiens cried out "Pardon my God! Pardon, Lord!" we are told. Wilkins also says that "from time to time he would raise his head and look over his tortured body." He was then harnessed to horses at each limb but to no avail. The horses pulled so hard for well over half an hour that one collapsed in his harness and yet poor Damiens' limbs would not be ripped from his torso. At this point, the prisoner - doubtless in unimaginable pain - asked calmly that the priest standing by say masses for his soul.<br />
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After fresh horses were brought in, Damiens' legs were finally torn off. The execution then chopped the prisoner's arms from his body, evidently with a sword or axe. At this point, the executioner pronounced the man dead. The pamphleteer, however, begged to differ:<br />
<br />
... <i>the truth was that I saw the man move, his lower jaw moving from side to side as if he were talking. One of the executioners said that he was still alive when his trunk was thrown on the stake</i>.<br />
<br />
All of Damiens' body parts were reduced to ash and scattered to the four winds.<br />
<br />
Damiens remained something of a bogey man in French memory and, after the Terror, it was rumored that <a href="http://fuckyeahhistorycrushes.tumblr.com/post/44975496040/a-couple-of-weeks-ago-someone-submitted-french">Maximilien Robespierre</a> was related to him. There appears to be no validity to this and it seems to have sprung from their only connection: both men were from Arras.<br />
<br />
The disgusting yet dignified death of Robert Francois Damiens remains an obvious case of justice gone berserk. Surely unfortunate Damiens could have agreed with John Coffey when he said he was tired of the pain.Paulinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730716060906158244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6880727956547669971.post-52387289372002399542013-03-31T00:22:00.000-08:002013-03-31T00:22:02.595-08:00Dimanche: Swimming<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsBmNCRnGJWR_7DQY0LNv-DJN5ud9e12LfMtGCoc3a_wQhloLCVnF3QefKrgE7XcY7CHMglHwlD6OHzo9zqQEisC3tLWgBQQPBUFe3sH4A8Bsu2UBaSYHzfQMFNjs0kGy1TG_HurfytLg/s1600/Sunday+swimmers+at+the+muni+pool+DC+July+1942+via+A+Harlots+Progress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsBmNCRnGJWR_7DQY0LNv-DJN5ud9e12LfMtGCoc3a_wQhloLCVnF3QefKrgE7XcY7CHMglHwlD6OHzo9zqQEisC3tLWgBQQPBUFe3sH4A8Bsu2UBaSYHzfQMFNjs0kGy1TG_HurfytLg/s400/Sunday+swimmers+at+the+muni+pool+DC+July+1942+via+A+Harlots+Progress.jpg" width="385" /></a></div>
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<i>Sunday Swimmers at the municipal pool in Washington D.C. c July 1942 via <a href="http://a-harlots-progress.tumblr.com/">A Harlot's Progress</a></i></div>
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<i>I have so missed all y'all; my new job has a lot of demands... we shall see... </i></div>
Paulinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730716060906158244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6880727956547669971.post-42434469802519367562013-03-22T15:17:00.000-08:002013-03-22T20:09:16.948-08:00Vendredi: Chthonian Histories<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQa7mzEf3C1jnKlKE8uPzmuEqjJmm_vD7G7jTyQaxt3qAVUDlMoCNBjjwXpc_fuPgntMAZBXE2_c3mT2Ra-lWeFgBauzzNoZjocA1rqBUQwndZ0LnX01F7Tw4tcBVkeagPpcJeLPlOJ0/s1600/Pendumbra+by+Enjeong+Noh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQa7mzEf3C1jnKlKE8uPzmuEqjJmm_vD7G7jTyQaxt3qAVUDlMoCNBjjwXpc_fuPgntMAZBXE2_c3mT2Ra-lWeFgBauzzNoZjocA1rqBUQwndZ0LnX01F7Tw4tcBVkeagPpcJeLPlOJ0/s400/Pendumbra+by+Enjeong+Noh.jpg" width="396" /></a></div>
In the more florid days of anatomists and resurrectionists, people worried about their bodies being exhumed for medical research. Such horrors were only replaced in the Victorian mind when the likes of Mary Shelley's <i>Frankenstein </i>gave way to Bram Stoker's <i>Dracula</i>. A long interval of decades indeed and either way we're dealing with the resurrected dead, aren't we?<br />
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Today, for your enjoyment, a poem by Thomas Hood who died in 1845, fairly the height of the post Burke and Hare era of the late 1820s. The poem is told from the perspective of the ghost of a young woman who, dead before she could marry her dear William, returns to him one night to recount the ghastly dismemberment her corpse has suffered. Hood clearly has a wry sense of the issue as well as a dark sense of humor. One wonders what he might have to say about our current culture's zombie craze.<br />
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<i>The arm that used to take your arm</i><br />
<i>Is took to Dr. Vyse</i><br />
<i>And both my legs are gone to walk</i><br />
<i>The Hospital at Guy's.</i><br />
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<i>I vowed that you should have my hand,</i><br />
<i>But fate gives us denial;</i><br />
<i>You'll find it there at Dr. Bell's</i><br />
<i>In spirits and a phial.</i><br />
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<i>I can't tell you where my head is gone</i><br />
<i>But Doctor Carpue can; </i><br />
<i>As for my trunk, it's all packed up</i><br />
<i>To go by Pickford's van.</i><br />
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<i>The cock it crows - I must be gone!</i><br />
<i>My William, we must part</i><br />
<i>But I'll be yours in death, altho'</i><br />
<i>Sir Astley has my heart.</i><br />
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<i>Header: Pendumbra by Enjeong Noh via <a href="http://americangallery.wordpress.com/category/noh-enjeong/">American Gallery </a></i>Paulinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730716060906158244noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6880727956547669971.post-22066036577981149572013-03-21T09:34:00.001-08:002013-03-21T09:34:30.928-08:00Jeudi: Weather-Wise<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxR-NhWtM8w6VzaDdalYbtWeHg3Z02JsB2cxIyNqU2CLPzpeMDLzl1KUFaP0JDKJ5PPe3jZ_hd2sQcu5T3UqMuDtUhg3EMG32GoVqUaTaXVtRIR8m9jI0Z5aepQM_9qQ9F0ECbE_4QM-0/s1600/Cloud+Study+Moonlight+by+Albert+Bierstadt+c+1860+via+Old+Paint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxR-NhWtM8w6VzaDdalYbtWeHg3Z02JsB2cxIyNqU2CLPzpeMDLzl1KUFaP0JDKJ5PPe3jZ_hd2sQcu5T3UqMuDtUhg3EMG32GoVqUaTaXVtRIR8m9jI0Z5aepQM_9qQ9F0ECbE_4QM-0/s400/Cloud+Study+Moonlight+by+Albert+Bierstadt+c+1860+via+Old+Paint.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
For centuries, the moon has been believed to prognosticate the weather. As it turns out, this is not an unreasonable supposition; sailors have looked to the moon for weather news with great success. Here then are a few weathery hints from the moon by land or by sea:<br />
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A yellow, dirty moon ~ heat<br />
Big, white moon ~ cold<br />
Silvery moon ~ fair<br />
Red moon ~ wind<br />
Pale, "watery" moon ~ rain<br />
Rings around the moon, which appear like halos, are said to foretell storms. If the weather is warm, look for rain but if it is cold, snow is on the way. Old sailors say that the number of stars seen withing the halo tells the number of days before the storm hits.<br />
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<i>Header: Cloud Study, Moonlight by Albert Bierstadt c 1860 via <a href="http://oldpainting.tumblr.com/">Old Paint</a></i>Paulinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730716060906158244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6880727956547669971.post-17763756555955449482013-03-20T10:52:00.002-08:002013-03-20T10:55:05.328-08:00Mercredi: The Art of Beauty<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZDmTCGfItIMtnZ0_TLFj80hlJENo5TAqwBJsBBjP5jlqL_b13At-waYUGS0e90GDMNw-E6qTrgfZC9tLwNWJv7Ibahti0nfh9Qs8FcJWPRfvTpM7AZnkhzFV2hFfO388Wp5yb253vibc/s1600/One+record+with+six+briefs+1950s+ad+via+MidCentury.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZDmTCGfItIMtnZ0_TLFj80hlJENo5TAqwBJsBBjP5jlqL_b13At-waYUGS0e90GDMNw-E6qTrgfZC9tLwNWJv7Ibahti0nfh9Qs8FcJWPRfvTpM7AZnkhzFV2hFfO388Wp5yb253vibc/s400/One+record+with+six+briefs+1950s+ad+via+MidCentury.jpg" width="317" /></a></div>
Let's fast forward to flash back today with this 1950s magazine ad for lady's underwear. That's right, girls: "One record with 6 briefs. Choose record by Eddie Fisher, Elvis Presley or Perry Como." Looking back on it the choice is easy; you can't beat Elvis plus six panties for $3.97!<br />
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Thanks, as always, to the wonderful <a href="http://midcenturyblog.tumblr.com/">Mid-Century</a> tumblr for this.Paulinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730716060906158244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6880727956547669971.post-72188208223985727772013-03-19T10:27:00.001-08:002013-03-19T10:27:58.166-08:00Mardi: Herbal-Wise<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaZmXy38fVZCgjt_g12Lca9SiUpRPEviZE2vi9jHPRZnQC_aE-vwa8Wt8cYOSDjJj_ld4Sqgur3ozYGk4nSlnKW_2rymNxhAayaEualM1uoAd4Z3pChbgi6TyQ_5KAUId8jmFMB4iMQ8s/s1600/Fat+Woman+by+Aubrey+Beardsley+c+1894+via+Old+Paint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaZmXy38fVZCgjt_g12Lca9SiUpRPEviZE2vi9jHPRZnQC_aE-vwa8Wt8cYOSDjJj_ld4Sqgur3ozYGk4nSlnKW_2rymNxhAayaEualM1uoAd4Z3pChbgi6TyQ_5KAUId8jmFMB4iMQ8s/s320/Fat+Woman+by+Aubrey+Beardsley+c+1894+via+Old+Paint.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
The herb known as fumitory or earth smoke is most commonly used in modern Wicca and hoodoo as a money-drawing incense. It has a long history, however, as an herbal cure as well.<br />
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Pliny the Younger mentions the herb in his writings where he says it is used in a decoction to treat irritations of the eye. According to Pliny, fumitory will cause the eyes to water profusely when applied which may be the origin of this use.<br />
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Old wives held that the plant grew not from seeds but from the "vapors of the earth," which may or may not be the origin of the plant's alternative name. The flowers and leaves were used in ointments to sooth skin irritations and rashes. A tea of fumitory was given to aid indigestion an cure constipation.<br />
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As an incense, the traditional use for fumitory was to drive out evil. The herb was used during exorcisms and added to the pyres upon which agents of the Devil would be immolated. In modern Wicca practice, the herb is still burned to avert the Evil Eye. Scott Cunningham also recommends the herb to increase prosperity; sprinkle dried fumitory around your home and rub it into your shoes once a week to bring quick cash.<br />
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Root workers use fumitory for money-drawing as well. The dried herb is added to Fast Luck incense to increase traffic to a business and to Money-Drawing incense to help with home finances. It can be burned alone for either purpose as well or brewed into a tea which is then sprinkled around home or business. Fumitory was also recommended to salesmen of old; placed in the shoes, it was thought to increase sales.<br />
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Finally, the seeds produced by the smokey-colored flowers were once added to a sweet syrup such as honey and given to colicky babies to help them sleep. Mothers of such infants were advised to take a spoonful as well to help them through the "sloth", as postpartum depression was once known. <i>Bonne chance ~</i><br />
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<i>Header: The Fat Woman by Aubrey Beardsley c 1894 via <a href="http://oldpainting.tumblr.com/">Old Paint</a></i>Paulinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730716060906158244noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6880727956547669971.post-53178655531558937752013-03-17T00:59:00.000-08:002013-03-17T00:59:00.563-08:00Dimanche: Swimming<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirfLhw7aOSZ8yiuxDP3f86pmX2qqt5_3S_25Py0Z9j9t_9IuEeLkMhRoNF1zTZXLys38I0fOxB0hOiS_ZcfoyQTH01aIxpSkReK4ztE3eTP5KwMqTbNL5FB6LEf4j94tNBJ3VSC6mkL1s/s1600/Two+ladies+at+the+beach+in+the+50s+photographer+unknown+via+A+Harlots+Progress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirfLhw7aOSZ8yiuxDP3f86pmX2qqt5_3S_25Py0Z9j9t_9IuEeLkMhRoNF1zTZXLys38I0fOxB0hOiS_ZcfoyQTH01aIxpSkReK4ztE3eTP5KwMqTbNL5FB6LEf4j94tNBJ3VSC6mkL1s/s400/Two+ladies+at+the+beach+in+the+50s+photographer+unknown+via+A+Harlots+Progress.jpg" width="272" /></a></div>
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<i>Two Ladies at the Beach ~ photographer unknown c 1950s via <a href="http://a-harlots-progress.tumblr.com/">A Harlot's Progress</a></i></div>
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<i>Happy St. Patrick's Day to one and all! </i></div>
Paulinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730716060906158244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6880727956547669971.post-30191443543176224562013-03-15T15:56:00.001-08:002013-03-15T16:41:36.954-08:00Vendredi: Chthonian Histories<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlCt5m1l1cy5u-wKoW10hfkYaQ8tvhO3k0Oa1BZell1mViITlw-tfElh4eTPIS8OWxjkzRisgkdKDxk1sIBszRf9MB6ijmxxr1raR82OfpV7SNSOi_GU4Rl-vKQa6LhVUCIUg_ZI-dBN4/s1600/A+Greek+Woman+by+Lawrence+Alma+Tadema+c+1869+via+Wikimedia.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlCt5m1l1cy5u-wKoW10hfkYaQ8tvhO3k0Oa1BZell1mViITlw-tfElh4eTPIS8OWxjkzRisgkdKDxk1sIBszRf9MB6ijmxxr1raR82OfpV7SNSOi_GU4Rl-vKQa6LhVUCIUg_ZI-dBN4/s400/A+Greek+Woman+by+Lawrence+Alma+Tadema+c+1869+via+Wikimedia.jpeg" width="340" /></a></div>
While enjoying a new book I received recently, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Joy-Sexus-Longing-Ancient/dp/080271997X">The Joy of Sexus: Lust, Love & Longing in the Ancient World</a> </i>by Vicki Leon - which I cannot recommend enough - I came across a nice little tidbit to round out the discussions of the last few Fridays. Evidently calling up the dark creatures of the underworld to inflame lust is a very ancient practice indeed.<br />
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In the chapter "Love Dilemmas & Lust at the Crossroads," Ms. Leon offers a few extant "love spells" that are intended either to draw in an unsuspecting individual or to do harm to a lost lover. In the case I've chosen today, Ms. Leon notes that a woman named Sophia had a mad lust for another woman, Gorgonia, and her remedy for satiation of that lust has survived into modern times.<br />
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Ms. Leon notes that an "elaborate erotic spell" was written down by Sophia, and quotes a portion of it in the book. As you'll note, the spell is full of netherworld imagery including reference to those untiring servants of fate, the Erinyes, and Cerberus, the three-headed bitch of Hades. I will use Ms. Leon's quote directly:<br />
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<i>Fundament of the gloomy darkness, jagged-tooth dog, covered with coiling snakes, turning three heads, traveler in the recesses of the underworld, spirit-driver, with the Erinyes [the Furies] savage with their stinging whips, holy serpents, maenads, frightful maidens, come to my wroth incantations. Before I persuade by force this one and you, render him immediately a fire-breathing demon. Listen and do everything quickly, in no way opposing me in the performance of this action, for you are the governors of the earth. [Three lines of magical gibberish follow.] By means of the corpse-daemon inflame the heart, the liver, the spirit of Gorgonia, whom Nilogenia bore, with love and affection for Sophia, whom Isara bore. Constrain Gorgonia to cast herself into the bath-house for the sake of Sophia; and you, become a bath-room. Burn, set on fire, inflame her soul, heart, liver, spirit with love for Sophia.</i><br />
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That's powerful stuff and sounds very much like a modern love song with a twist. Sophia is mad with love for Gorgonia and will call up the demons of Hades to achieve her fantasy. One wonders what outcome may have materialized from so much psychic melodrama.<br />
<i> </i><br />
<i>Header: A Greek Woman by Lawrence Alma-Tadema c 1869 via Wikimedia</i>Paulinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730716060906158244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6880727956547669971.post-63581939770613686192013-03-14T15:08:00.001-08:002013-03-14T15:14:34.303-08:00Jeudi: Curios<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmmRyhgs9iQFQVpKD8OTnn5-5aeCVhdujB5EU9PcudsToejq1DE69TSpDeVWSMPp61RCoXbR_-k85p_SBV_4Ll2WnStFW5Ddunu02c0leyTdigcwBHRW1ct0K_vg2VPEeojhq9TfzHr2I/s1600/Amber+pendants+via+Wikimedia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmmRyhgs9iQFQVpKD8OTnn5-5aeCVhdujB5EU9PcudsToejq1DE69TSpDeVWSMPp61RCoXbR_-k85p_SBV_4Ll2WnStFW5Ddunu02c0leyTdigcwBHRW1ct0K_vg2VPEeojhq9TfzHr2I/s400/Amber+pendants+via+Wikimedia.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Amber, as Scott Cunningham notes in his <a href="http://books.google.com/books/about/Cunningham_s_Encyclopedia_of_Crystal_Gem.html?id=Ut5LGMTXR4AC"><i>Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic</i></a>, is quite possibly the oldest form of adornment in the world. The solidified sap of now extinct coniferous trees, amber ranges in color from a deep reddish-orange to sunny yellow. And, of course, there are sometimes little bugs and leaves permanently captured in the stones.<br />
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Amber has a myriad of magickal uses and is certainly the jewel of choice for Wiccans and particularly High Priests and Priestesses. Considered a source of energy, amber is believed to represent the so called fifth element or Akasha that binds the four visible elements - fire, air, earth and water - together. Thus wearing of amber, usually in silver settings, is thought to increase the power of the worker and the efficacy of his or her spellcraft.<br />
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Viking children were often given simple amber necklaces to protect their health. This habit is still common today in colder areas of the world where amber is most plentiful. In Siberia, Canada and here in Alaska, natives wear amber and ivory together to bring prosperity and turn away the evil eye.<br />
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Wearing amber has for centuries been thought to improve the wearer's looks. Cunningham notes the irony of this: during the Renaissance, women wore amber in order to gain weight while in our times it is worn to assist in healthy weight loss. The efficacy of both these approaches may be a little spurious, but I have found that wearing amber regularly does lift one's mood which in turn makes one more attractive.<br />
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If you feel you are under psychic attack, or perhaps just having a run of "bad luck," add a few amber beads to a warm bath, settle in and soak. Then wear or carry the beads with you until your next bath. Taking loose amber or wearing a piece of amber jewelry to a job or other interview will also increase you confidence and by turns your chances of landing that job.<br />
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A bit of powdered amber added to any incense is said to increase the intended purpose of same. In Ancient Sumer, Babylon and Phoenicia, amber dust was burned during labor to ensure a safe birthing for both mother and child. <br />
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When buying amber, be sure to do your research. Items labeled amber are sometimes nothing more than glass or resin. Know your dealer and choose wisely. Amber is not cheap by any means so you will want to purchase the best quality you can afford. I have found that the right piece of amber will often find you rather than you finding it. You may receive it as a gift, stumble upon it at a flea market or run across an ad in the paper or online. For instance, I found the amber ring I now wear regularly at a local art store that was reducing their inventory. I knew the store owner well and therefore had no concerns about quality. The real kicker was when the ring fit - which I did not at all expect given my unfortunate "man hands," to use a "Seinfeld" reference. Reduced price, trusted source and it slipped on perfectly; ring me up, if you'll pardon the pun. <i>Bonne chance ~</i><br />
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<i>Header: Amber pendants via Wikipedia</i>Paulinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730716060906158244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6880727956547669971.post-38641204575451548342013-03-13T13:12:00.000-08:002013-03-13T13:12:34.851-08:00Mercredi: The Art of Beauty<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAByuaGhPJvXt_z7FTajUpPZ21DqRHaEe0bBzWqTyDSyfpd3kpcTwUTNUySTZXQELSycbWMJQl0dZHXhOdSx4VPbODK89aG1jQbggK9r-t_J1feEremH1KK8uweqgvfQs3mP3VQutdLmM/s1600/Gabrielle+dEstrees+by+Lavinia+Fontana+c+1599+via+A+Harlots+Progress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAByuaGhPJvXt_z7FTajUpPZ21DqRHaEe0bBzWqTyDSyfpd3kpcTwUTNUySTZXQELSycbWMJQl0dZHXhOdSx4VPbODK89aG1jQbggK9r-t_J1feEremH1KK8uweqgvfQs3mP3VQutdLmM/s400/Gabrielle+dEstrees+by+Lavinia+Fontana+c+1599+via+A+Harlots+Progress.jpg" width="335" /></a></div>
This gorgeous portrait, which I came across over at <a href="http://a-harlots-progress.tumblr.com/">A Harlot's Progress</a>, is of Gabrielle d'Estrees by Roman artist Lavinia Fontana. The portrait is most often dated 1599, which was the year then twenty eight year old Gabrielle died in April.<br />
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Gabrielle was the mistress of King Henri IV of France and her beauty was legendary. Her untimely death threw Henri into a funk that lasted the rest of his life. She is the subject of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gabrielle_d_Estree_-_Louvre.jpg">this </a>scandalous and possibly posthumous double portrait, said to depict she (on the right) and her sister. In the painting, Gabrielle is holding Henri's coronation ring, which he gifted her in place of an engagement band.<br />
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Lavinia was born in Bologna but lived most of her life in Rome. She was famous in her own right, to some degree simply because of her gender. The Tudor Era on <a href="http://thehouseoftudor.tumblr.com/post/9384938227/oldrags-portrait-of-gabrielle-destrees-by">tumblr </a>also attributes this stunning painting to Fontana.Paulinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730716060906158244noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6880727956547669971.post-37027059842839497932013-03-12T14:33:00.001-08:002013-03-12T14:33:50.161-08:00Mardi: Herbal-Wise<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_Pnw5WgzomE71cqxvACL3YY0GujHnP5i0pkQTAz6jWZaj0MCDu-esvuNkv2K5W8BHBn0BBT1niedOoyxlyPMdUdH2wTA88j8tCFK1XKocRy2QRXPXW2ut3PKspKg-FN2Deqd0liry38/s1600/Woman+in+a+Landscape+by+Walter+Shirlaw+via+American+Gallery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_Pnw5WgzomE71cqxvACL3YY0GujHnP5i0pkQTAz6jWZaj0MCDu-esvuNkv2K5W8BHBn0BBT1niedOoyxlyPMdUdH2wTA88j8tCFK1XKocRy2QRXPXW2ut3PKspKg-FN2Deqd0liry38/s400/Woman+in+a+Landscape+by+Walter+Shirlaw+via+American+Gallery.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
The wives' tales of old, an ancient herbology that should never have been lost, are still alive thanks to some stubborn families and skilled researchers. One of the latter is Mary Chamberlain whose book <i><a href="http://books.google.com/books/about/Old_wives_tales.html?id=XyUSAQAAIAAJ">Old Wives' Tales</a> </i>I cannot recommend enough. Here is what she gathered from 19th century England on the use of club moss for eye troubles:<br />
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<i>Many incantations involved the use of numbers, often structured so that the numbers diminished... But the quaintness of the spells should not obscure their practical usage. For instance, elements of astrology were perceived as valuable symbols of healing. But more than that, the moon and sun directed not only the course of sickness but often the correct times for harvesting herbs for administering treatment. Club moss, for instance, was believed to be effective for all diseases of the eye, and had to be gathered on the third day of the moon when it was seen for the first time. The gatherer was directed to take the knife with which it was to be cut in the hand, show it to the moon and repeat:</i><br />
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<i>As Christ healed the issue of blood</i><br />
<i>Do thou cut what thou cuttest for good.</i><br />
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<i>Then, when the moon was setting, the gatherer had to wash the hands and cut the club moss while kneeling and wrap it in a white cloth. Afterwards it had to be boiled in water taken from a spring nearest to the place of growth and then the decoction could be used as a fermentation for the eyes. Or it could be made into an ointment after it had been mixed with butter made from the milk of a new cow.</i><br />
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<i>Although the ritual appears both elaborate and heavily symbolic, it contained important principles. For the efficacy of many herbs does in fact lie in the correct time of harvest. The active principle in the herb may vary according to its freshness and time of gathering. Modern research has demonstrated, for instance, that the yield of morphine from the poppy gathered at nine o'clock in the morning is often four time the yield obtained twelve hours later.</i><br />
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And that once again goes to show that our ancestors, far from being superstitious morons, knew quite a bit more than modern technologies would make it appear.<br />
<i> </i><br />
<i>Header: Woman in a Landscape by Walter Shirlaw via <a href="http://americangallery.wordpress.com/category/shirlaw-walter/">American Gallery</a></i>Paulinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730716060906158244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6880727956547669971.post-7147758452104076542013-03-10T01:48:00.003-09:002013-03-10T01:48:51.983-09:00Dimanche: Swimming<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVE3lAQdeVXjR_x2EeWmNoC2R7txKwAhpc3NIdgXWZetQJ8zVEhD5-p0xufQs7GZcwwDYbAyXvk1eksLQXy57Vt8MVsKETbJzkJ7G-w2tRnqtSt2aQAfmFpkEnxTxciO44JnebjuMYoKk/s1600/Illustration+from+If+by+Ellen+Barbara+Segner+via+American+Gallery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVE3lAQdeVXjR_x2EeWmNoC2R7txKwAhpc3NIdgXWZetQJ8zVEhD5-p0xufQs7GZcwwDYbAyXvk1eksLQXy57Vt8MVsKETbJzkJ7G-w2tRnqtSt2aQAfmFpkEnxTxciO44JnebjuMYoKk/s400/Illustration+from+If+by+Ellen+Barbara+Segner+via+American+Gallery.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
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<i>Illustration from "If" by Ellen Barbara Segner via <a href="http://americangallery.wordpress.com/category/segner-ellen-barbara/">American Gallery</a></i></div>
Paulinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730716060906158244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6880727956547669971.post-15580678523396953212013-03-08T12:58:00.001-09:002013-03-08T12:58:53.222-09:00Vendredi: Chthonian Histories<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDRE7PP2d5dvYHKhEmiyC94L2hjQT50CJ0xl4LmhH4XpWqsRdDEk8jilfKnvgbQMZUVpHR9CqrzttjxxUf9nt7pkVD_dij1XrWgy65OaWba8R3jerk36dxCZShzwqIj9sz2NpWZDVp_QQ/s1600/Temp+of+St+Anthony+by+Alexandre+Louis+Leloir+via+1st+art+gallery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDRE7PP2d5dvYHKhEmiyC94L2hjQT50CJ0xl4LmhH4XpWqsRdDEk8jilfKnvgbQMZUVpHR9CqrzttjxxUf9nt7pkVD_dij1XrWgy65OaWba8R3jerk36dxCZShzwqIj9sz2NpWZDVp_QQ/s400/Temp+of+St+Anthony+by+Alexandre+Louis+Leloir+via+1st+art+gallery.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
The slightly more creepy and definitely less written about sister of the incubus we discussed last week is, of course, the succubus. She is discussed in the largely Medieval literature as appearing to men in the guise of the most beautiful woman on earth. In fact, when the curtain is pulled back - or the exorcist has had his way - her true form materializes. She is either a grizzled hag in Satan's service or a corpse reanimated by the power of a demon.<br />
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According to Genevieve and Tom Morgan in their 1996 publication <i><a href="http://books.google.com/books/about/The_Devil.html?id=XOYRAQAAIAAJ">The Devil</a> </i>succubus means "to lie under" just as incubus means "to lie upon." One has to imagine that the reference is to the human attacked by the demon as succubi were said to straddle men in their sleep and ride them as if they were horses. The poor man would wake up, sweaty and exhausted, only to have to return to his bed and similar treatment the next night. Some authorities postulate that this is the origin of our modern "nightmare" but there is much to debate there.<br />
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In general, succubi are and were considered by demonologists to be the daughters of the first wife of Adam: Lilith. These bad girls, sometimes known as lilin, were difficult to exorcise but seemingly not quite as difficult as those nasty incubi for reasons we will discuss in a minute. <br />
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The succubi, hag or corpse, were intent on stealing the seed of human men and using it for nepharious, demonic intents. In fact, Francis Barrett, writing in his <a href="http://books.google.com/books/about/The_Magus_Celestial_Intelligencer.html?id=NewpGt04PlYC"><i>Celestial Intelligencer</i></a> in 1801, posits the following origin of succubi:<br />
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<i>... the nymphs of the wood were preferred before the others in beauty... and at length [they] began wedlocks with men, feigning that, by these copulations, they should obtain an immortal soul for them and their offspring.</i><br />
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In Barrett's supposition, the dryads of Greek mythology were nothing more than lovely demons who, in mating with mortal men hoped to gain everlasting life by almost literally sucking the soul from them.<br />
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Barrett's latter-day ideology aside, it probably comes as no surprise that monks and priests were favorite targets of these wood nymphs com demons. <i></i>Hermits were particularly juicy prey and Saints Anthony, Hilary and Hippolytus all wrote of their encounters with the gorgeous flesh of tempting succubi. While Anthony and Hippolytus speak only of one succubus at a time, Hilary notes that he often found himself "encircled by naked women. Hippolytus' tormenter, when cloaked in the saint's chasuble, collapsed to the floor as old bones. In later writings, church fathers such as St. Augustine and St. Jerome wagged their fingers at hermits who welcomed the attentions of their demonic lovers. Augustine even mentions one monk who was so consumed with his succubus that he literally died of exhaustion due to his near perpetual fornication with her. Or it.<br />
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The overall tone of these writings, however, was that men were far more steadfast at rejecting the attention of succubi than women were with incubi. This was thought to be true to such a degree that St. Jerome claimed authoritatively that incubi outnumbered succubi 9 to 1. Quite a margin if you think about it.<br />
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<i>Header: The Temptation of St. Anthony by Alexandre Louis Leloir via <a href="http://www.1st-art-gallery.com/Alexandre-Louis-Leloir/The-Temptation-Of-Saint-Anthony.html">1st Art Gallery</a></i>Paulinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730716060906158244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6880727956547669971.post-16555606806936820712013-03-07T10:06:00.001-09:002013-03-07T10:06:27.217-09:00Jeudi: Root Work<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeXBhL9V_TtJy6MtSYiJN4rfpOZ-3klZ2tVNxCkr5vmOFgCFxoU8BUyJciRU9vf3mH7O9J0h-y2tVVQ7mtx6i649cdQLQ9uZXvRy9i5VNL1tVcG47ZzEij_aVF6u4enB_xeNy9-Zmsdds/s1600/Liberations+of+St+Peter+by+Gerard+van+Honthorst+c+1617+via+Wikipedia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeXBhL9V_TtJy6MtSYiJN4rfpOZ-3klZ2tVNxCkr5vmOFgCFxoU8BUyJciRU9vf3mH7O9J0h-y2tVVQ7mtx6i649cdQLQ9uZXvRy9i5VNL1tVcG47ZzEij_aVF6u4enB_xeNy9-Zmsdds/s400/Liberations+of+St+Peter+by+Gerard+van+Honthorst+c+1617+via+Wikipedia.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
We've talked about gypsy spellcraft before here at HQ. Many gypsy magicks very much resemble those of hoodoo root workers. One of the common themes in both is the use of Christian and particularly Catholic iconography and verbiage. Both the gypsy culture and the cultures that created hoodoo held the Christian religion in awe at one time. It was the religion of those who lived at ease in fine houses and fancy clothes and everyone knows that the gods who grant such things must be powerful indeed.<br />
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Today's working, a gypsy talisman to prevent toothache, makes full use of Christian imagery to get its job done. My grandmother explained a variation of this spell, giving me only the "prayer" to say nightly. In his wonderful <a href="http://books.google.com/books/about/Book_of_Spells.html?id=YB3SPQAACAAJ"><i>Book of Spells</i></a> from 1971, Marc de Pascale gives the entire working as well as a story behind its origin which goes like this:<br />
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<i>St. Peter was said to be sitting on a stone when Christ walked by. Christ asked Peter why her looked so unhappy and Peter answered, 'Lord, my teeth pain me'. Christ then ordered that the 'worm' in Peter's tooth should come forth and never return. The pain immediately ceased and Peter said, 'I pray you, O Lord, that when these words be written out and a man carries them he shall have no toothache'. The Lord answered, 'Tis well, Peter; so may it be.'</i><br />
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And here is the working per Mr. de Pascale:<br />
<i> </i><br />
You will need a piece of cloth - and kind and color but cotton works best - about 10" by 3" and a pen<br />
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Now write the following prayer on the material:<br />
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<i>Peter is sitting on a marble stone,</i><br />
<i>And Jesus passed by.</i><br />
<i>Peter said "My Lord, my God,</i><br />
<i>How my tooth doth ache!"</i><br />
<i>Jesus said, "Peter art thou whole!</i><br />
<i>And whosoever keeps these words for my sake</i><br />
<i>Shall never have the toothache."</i><br />
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The cloth should then be carried on your person - as Mr. de Pascale says, until "you are fitted with full dentures". <i>Bonne chance ~</i><br />
<i> </i><br />
<i>Header: The Liberation of Saint Peter by Gerard van Honthorst c 1617 via Wikipedia</i>Paulinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730716060906158244noreply@blogger.com2