Winter Tree Lore

ELDER (Sambucus spp.) - The Latin name Sambucus is derived from a Greek word for a wind instrument made from the elder. Also known as Ellhorn, Elderberry, Lady Elder. Sacred to the White Lady and Midsummer Solstice. The Druids used it to both bless and curse. Standing under an elder tree at Midsummer, like standing in a Fairy Ring …

Lore of the Christmas Rose

COMMON NAME:  Christmas Rose GENUS:  Helleborus Species, Hybrids, Cultivars: H. niger "Angustifolius"-small flowering, pure white form. H.n. "Praecox"-blooms September-February. H.n. "Major," H.n. "Multiflorus"-smaller flowers. FAMILY:  Ranunculaceae BLOOMS: Winter TYPE: Perennial DESCRIPTION: This plant, which grows to a height of 12 to 8 inches, has interesting evergreen leaves that are slightly toothed and divided into seven to …

Medicinal Herbs: Arnica

Arnica {Arnica montana} Arnica has been an important topical healing herb since the 15th century. It is a member of the large and varied Asteraceae, or Composite family, along with sunflowers, daisies, lettuce, and chicory. This perennial herb originated in the mountains of Europe and Siberia and is now widely cultivated in North America. The …

Welcome October: Pumpkins ~ Magic & Lore

It is a magical time when the mundane laws of time and space are temporarily suspended, and the Thin Veil between the worlds is lifted. According to our Celtic Ancestors, this is the time the souls of people who had died that year make their journey to the Otherworld. During this thinning of the veil, …

The Mystique and Lore of Sapphire’s

Amulets, Talismans, and Religious Beliefs Sapphires figure prominently in numerous beliefs and traditions, both past and present.  For centuries, sapphires have been used for alchemy, magic, healing rituals, and astrological prognostication. Early priests and scholars believed that precious gemstones, including sapphires, had specific “virtues” that could be used to benefit man if their powers were …

A Preliminary Analysis of the Botany, Zoology, and Mineralogy of the Voynich Manuscript

Author of Mysterious Voynich Manuscript Was Italian Jew, Says Scholar. The Guardian. July 5, 2017. The author of the Voynich manuscript, a 15th-century codex written in an indecipherable script that has baffled scholars and code-breakers for years, has been identified by an expert as a Jewish physician based in northern Italy.