Oil Paintings to Inspire

WIP- Oak tree in the summer

Again, trying a method close to that of Windberg, here is the almost finished project part one. IF, if I do anything to it, I will add a few more tufts of grass, perhaps a few more flowers and a few lines in the lightest greens in the background to add a sense of depth.
  On every layer of paint, I added detailed leaves and again on each added lighter layer of paint. it seems to add more depth to the tree.  I still don't paint quite evenly to cover the weave of the canvas so perhaps in the future I'll gesso the canvas and sand it for a smooth canvas.
  I also tried highlighting the edges of the tree with the same color as the sky, a cerelean blue, to add the look of reflecting sky color. Fan brushed the edges to give it a distant look.

Oil project # 1 finished! Study in shadows and shading

Study in shading and complementary colors. My first oil project.

Oil practice, trees, copper, clouds,

OK, this is a study of an oak tree trunk. I settled on using burnt umber as it's a very dark color that lightens up well into the colors I wanted. Pthalo green is the color I also chose for the leaves. I used cadmium yellow hue, some burnt umber and some titanium white  as well and I also used the cerelean blue from the sky to add reflections to the leaves on the outside edges (see below) 

Here I am trying to get realistic clouds. It's harder than it looks folks! I added a very light yellow-cad yellow hue + titanium white- and mixed in a touch of cadmium red hue to add a bit of reflection off the edges of the clouds before I added white to them.

This last tree I did, I tried using Dalhart Windbergs method and after I put down the first darkest color of pure Pthalo green, I used a #2 rigger and painted individual leaves from the excess paint so they will appear in the background. 

  I seem to have the habit of making my trunks too large for the size tree I am painting. Note to self!

5 Troublesome Facts About Cancer That Everybody Should Know

5 Troublesome Facts About Cancer That Everybody Should Know

Posted: 01 Oct 2015 03:22 PM PDT

It’s hard to believe that approximately one in every two people will develop some form of cancer within their lifetime. As a result, cancer awareness has skyrocketed. Millions of people around the globe are helping to raise money and awareness for cancer and cancer treatment. This overwhelming support from the public just goes to show how many good hearts are out there, and in no way should we dismiss that generous spirit. There are, however, some important facts relating to this disease about which many people are still unaware.

While it is of course disturbing that cancer rates are at all time time high, the prevalence of this disease is causing people to take notice and to question, which is always a good thing. People are becoming more aware of the disease, looking into alternative treatment options and trying to determine the cause of this illness. People are starting to wonder why so many of us are so sick. So despite how gloomy it may appear, there is hope for all of us.

The 5 facts about cancer below are indeed disturbing, but what’s even more disturbing is the fact hat nobody even talks about them. If we want to get to the root of this disease, ignorance is not the answer. Hopefully this article helps you learn some important information about cancer that you probably won’t hear much about in the mainstream. If you want to find out what your personal cancer risk is, you can find out here: www.collective-evolution.com/a/cancer-truth

Questionable Cancer Research/Fraud

Linus Pauling, Ph.D, and two time Nobel Prize winner in chemistry, has revealed: “Everyone should know that most cancer research is largely a fraud, and that the major cancer research organizations are derelict in their duties to the people who support them.” (source)(source)

He is considered one of the most important scientists in history. He is one of the founders of quantum chemistry and molecular biology, and was also a well known peace activist. He was invited to be in charge of the Chemistry Division of the Manhattan Project, but refused. He has also done a lot of work on military applications, and has pretty much done and seen it all in the scientific field, so his words are not to be taken lightly.

And it’s not just Pauling making these kinds of statements. Many other well respected scientists, who are definitely in a position to know about this type of thing, have made similar statements. For example, Dr. Marcia Angell, a physician and longtime Editor in Chief of the New England Medical Journal (NEMJ), which is considered to be one of the most prestigious peer-reviewed medical journals in the world, said that:

It is simply no longer possible to believe much of the clinical research that is published, or to rely on the judgement of trusted physicians or authoritative medical guidelines. I take no pleasure in this conclusion, which I reached slowly and reluctantly over my two decades as an editor of the New England Journal Of Medicine. (source)

Dr. Richard Horton, Editor in Chief of another one of the world’s most best known medical journals, The Lancet, recently published a statement expressing that a large quantity of published peer-reviewed science is actually completely false. He revealed:

The case against science is straightforward: much of the scientific literature, perhaps half, may simply be untrue. Afflicted by studies with small sample sizes, tiny effects, invalid exploratory analyses, and flagrant conflicts of interest, together with an obsession for pursuing fashionable trends of dubious importance, science has taken a turn towards darkness.  (source)

A lot of the ‘credible’ research out there has been supported and funded by the pharmaceutical companies themselves, and much of it conflicts with the work of independent scientists from all over the world.

The field of U.S. cancer care is organized around a medical monopoly that ensures a continuous flow of money to the pharmaceutical companies, medical technology firms, research institutes, and government agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and quasi-public organizations such as the American Cancer Society (ACS). – Ralph Moss, Ph.D., quoted by John Diamond, M.D., & Lee Cowden, M.D. in Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide to Cancer

People Are Actually Having Success With Alternative Treatments

A growing trend amongst people who have been diagnosed with cancer is to seek out alternative treatment, and this is largely because so many people have reported solid success rates. We can also attribute this shift to the vast amount of published scientific literature pointing people in this direction. For example, here is a quick video clip of Dr. Christina Sanchez, a molecular biologist who explains the power of THC. Other ingredients within cannabis have also been shown to annihilate cancer tumours. Here is an older article with just a few out of hundreds of studies sourced, just to give you an idea. It’s worrying that no human clinical trials have been conducted on the use of cannabis to treat cancer, despite the fact that scientists have known for decades that it is effective.

Mykala Comstock is a wonderful example of cannabis’ efficacy; she had T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, a very rare and aggressive form of childhood leukaemia. In July of 2012, doctors discovered a basketball-sized mass of lymphoblasts in her chest. Her mass was so large that she was not able to be sedated for risk of death from the pressure on her esophagus and heart.

More people are to turning to other herbal remedies as well. Research has shown that artemisinin, found in various plants, can also kill cancer cells.

Dietary changes are also taking a more prominent role in alternative cancer treatment. Chris Wark, a man who had stage 3 colon cancer, credits his recovery to a vegan diet.

The point is, these stories are out there, and so is the science to back them up. It makes you wonder why these aren’t considered mainstream treatment suggestions? Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that these treatments cannot be patented?

There are only two approved treatments for cancer — radiation and chemotherapy.

Our Toxic Environment

“How could we have ever believed that it was a good idea to grow our food with poisons?” – Jane Goodall

Billions of pounds of toxic chemicals are sprayed on our food and in the environment every single year. We’re talking about organophosphates, chemicals that were used to kill people in warfare during WW2. After decades of spraying, a number of alarming studies have been published which lead to many of these chemicals being completely banned.

Children today are sicker than they were a generation ago. From childhood cancers to autism, birth defects and asthma, a wide range of childhood diseases and disorders are on the rise. Our assessment of the latest science leaves little room for doubt; pesticides are one key driver of this sobering trend. – October 2012 report by Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA) (source)(source)

Yet only recently did the World Health Organization admit that glyphosate, the most active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide, can cause cancer. (source) A number of countries around the world have also banned glyphosate. Sri Lanka, for example, decided to completely ban it after their scientists discovered that it was linked to chronic kidney disease. (source)(source) It has also been completely banned in various countries across Europe.

As far as pesticide accumulation in the body goes, a recent study conducted by researchers from RMIT university, published in the journal Environmental Research, found that an organic diet for just one week significantly reduced pesticide exposure in adults by 90 percent.  (source)

Cynthia Curl, an assistant professor in the School of Allied Health Sciences Department of Community and Environmental Health at Boise State University, recently published a pesticide exposure study in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.  Results of her research indicated that among individuals eating similar amounts of vegetables and fruits, the ones who reported eating organic produce had significantly lower OP pesticide exposure than those who normally consume conventionally grown produce.
These studies are important because the pesticides sprayed on our food are also very toxic and have been linked to a number of diseases, like cancer. Why are we consuming chemicals that were used to kill people in warfare? How can we possibly justify such irresponsible behaviour?
And the problem extends further than simply what is being put on our food. Our food itself has been genetically modified by biotech companies, to the point where it bears little resemblance to its natural form, and is equally unrecognizable by our bodies. These companies incorporate genes from one species into a completely unrelated species. (source) This, according to many, is bad science.

The problem is this, geneticists follow the inheritance of genes in what we call a vertical fashion … within a species. What biotechnology allows us to do is to take genes from this organism and move it in what we call horizontally into a totally unrelated species…. What biotechnology allows us to do is to switch genes from one to the other without regard for the biological constraints…. It’s very very bad science. We assume that the principles governing the inheritance of genes vertically applies when you move genes laterally or horizontally. There’s absolutely no reason to make that conclusion. – David Suzuki, geneticist, activist, and environmentalist (source) 

Furthermore, no studies have been cited by global health authorities which prove the longterm safety of GMOs on our health. This is not good science, and we know for a fact that GMOs are harmful to other animals which we have tested them on. For example, the chronic toxicity study examined the health impacts of eating commercialized genetically modified (GM) maize, alongside Monsanto’s NK603 glyphosate-based herbicide Roundup, on rats.The study found severe liver and kidney damage as well as hormonal disturbances in rats fed with GM maize in conjunction with low levels of Roundup — levels which were below those permitted in most drinking water across Europe. Results also indicated high rates of large tumors and mortality in most treatment groups. (source)

You can read more about that here.

Other studies have found issues with GM foods and pesticides appearing in maternal and fetal blood.

As part of the process, they portrayed the various concerns as merely the ignorant opinions of misinformed individuals – and derided them as not only unscientific, but anti-science. They then set to work to convince the public and government officials, through the dissemination of false information, that there was an overwhelming expert consensus, based on solid evidence, that GMOs were safe. – Jane Goodall (source)

These examples barely even scratch the surface of carcinogens we are exposed to. Cosmetics, flame retardants, everyday household products — these are all a concern. It’s not a mystery why cancer rates are so high, but we never really talk about the issue in this way. Waster fluoridation is another example. Fluoride was recently categorized officially as a neurotoxin.

In point of fact, fluoride causes more human cancer deaths than any other chemical. When you have power you don’t have to tell the truth. That’s a rule that’s been working in this world for generations. There are a great many people who don’t tell the truth when they are in power in administrative positions. This amounts to public murder on a grand scale, it is a public crime. … It is some of the most conclusive bits of scientific and biological evidence that I have come across in my 50 years in the field of cancer research. (source)  – Dr. Dean Burk, Biochemist, Founder of Biotin, and Former Chief Chemist at the National Cancer Institute of Heal

Cancer Charity Fraud

The Brooklyn-based National Children’s Leukemia Foundation has been shut down. This comes years after they raised millions of dollars through professionally run fundraisers. They lured people in, claiming that the funds would be used to conduct cancer research and locate bone marrow donors, while they ran their “Make a Dream Come True” campaign. (source)(source)

This is disturbing information, but it’s not the first time that a major cancer charity has been called into question, not by a long shot. For example, a complaint filed by the Federal Trade Commission describes four connected groups, all with cancer in their name, as “sham charities,” saying they instead “operated as personal fiefdoms characterized by rampant nepotism, flagrant conflicts of interest, and excessive insider compensation.” One of those names was the Cancer Fund of America Inc. These groups stand accused of taking in almost 200 million dollars. (source)

You can read more about that here .

Cancer Prevention

It’s remarkable how much time we spend raising money for cancer treatment without ever speaking about cancer prevention. With out toxic environment, there are a number of things you can do to minimize your risk of developing cancer.

So what can you do? Stop buying household cleaning products with toxic, carcinogenic chemicals. Do your research, ask around. Stop eating foods that are sprayed with pesticides, or at least properly soak and clean your fruits and vegetables for a decent amount of time before consuming them. Indeed, eat more fruits and vegetables to begin with. Exercise more, engage in activities/experiences that make you feel good and bring you joy — these are all simple steps we can take to show our bodies the love they deserve.

Again, I would emphasize diet, as a lot of what we are put into our bodies on a weekly basis isn’t healthy at all.

For example…

“Studies are confirming the health benefits of meat-free eating. Nowadays, plant-based eating is recognized as not only nutritionally sufficient but also as a way to reduce the risk for many chronic illnesses.” – Harvard Medical School (source)

Be Sure To Check Out The Truth About Cancer Docu-Series Below

Physicists To Put One Large Physical Object In Two Places At The Same Time

Physicists To Put One Large Physical Object In Two Places At The Same Time

Posted: 01 Oct 2015 09:35 PM PDT

A pair of scientists —  Dr. Yin of Bejing’s Tsinghua University and Dr. Li of Indiana’s Perdue University — have proposed what they believe to be a plausible method of observing a living organism in two places at once. (source) According to Dr. Li:

Although it has attracted enormous interest, no quantum superposition state of an organism has been realized. So we propose a straightforward approach to put a microbe into a superposition of two spatial states, that is, the microbe will be at two different positions at the same time … It will be the first experiment to put an organism into a quantum superposition state.  (source)

While this type of speculation is usually, and automatically, chucked into the ‘fairy tale’ bin, the possibility of one solid piece of matter (anything that has mass) existing in multiple places at once is quite real and has, at the subatomic microscopic (quantum) level, already been demonstrated.

The scientists are suggesting that an experiment conducted at the University of Colorado a couple of years ago could be modified by placing a living organism into a superposition state. A superposition state is when a piece of matter, like an electron, exists as multiple “probabilities” at one time. It’s basically a piece of matter at the subatomic level existing in multiple places at one time (also known as a wave), until it is observed or measured — when that happens it collapses into one state. We know this to be true. You can view a visual demonstration of this quantum “weirdness” here, or read more in an article we wrote about it here. That experiment has been used dozens of times to examine the role of consciousness and its effects on our physical material world. (source) Phys.org reports:

The team suggests the way to make it work would involve cooling a common bacterium down to approximately 10mK to prevent chemical activity from taking place and energy from being exchanged with the environment, then causing the microbe to adhere to the membrane using natural forces. That should be enough, they theorize, to allow for the bacterium to be put into a superposition state along with the oscillating membrane. (source)

So, superposition is indeed possible on the quantum scale, but these are still physical objects that are existing in multiple states or ‘places’ at one time, so why is it not possible to put a larger living organism into a superposition state? Discover Magazine elaborates:

The maddening part of that problem is that the ability of particles to exist in two places at once is not a mere theoretical abstraction. It is a very real aspect of how the subatomic world works, and it has been experimentally confirmed many times over.  (source)

Why these same quantum mechanical laws have not been observed on the macroscopic level is yet to be understood, but physicists are working on the problem. For example, in 2012 physicists David Wineland and Serge Haroche received the Nobel Prize in physics for demonstrating how “quantum weirdness” could not only exist at the subatomic micro-world level, but also show itself in the macro-world. At one time, superposition was only thought to exist in the inaccessible quantum world, but not anymore. We know it’s possible, we just haven’t figured out how. We do, however, seem to be getting closer to finding out. ( source ) ( source )

If matter can be observed at the smallest possible levels acting in weird ways (like superposition), it’s logical to assume that larger physical objects could do the same. 

It kind of makes you wonder, are there multiple dimensions? Are there parallel worlds and parallel versions of us existing in other, multiple realities? Are we one representation of a larger superposition of ourselves existing as multiple potentials? Is earth one representation, one part of a wave that is existing in multiple states?

Always interesting to ponder.

Related CE Articles:

How Is This Possible? Scientists Observe ONE Particle Exist In Multiple States 

Quantum Entanglement Verified. Why Space Is Just The Construct That Gives The Illusion Of Separate Objects. 

“Consciousness Creates Reality” – Physicists Admit The Universe If Immaterial, Mental & Spiritual

WIP-oils, ocean scene

NASA Scientists Reveal Four Alarming Facts About Extraterrestrial Life On Mars

NASA Scientists Reveal Four Alarming Facts About Extraterrestrial Life On Mars

Posted: 29 Sep 2015 10:41 AM PDT

Last weekend, NASA called for a press conference to announce a major discovery regarding the planet Mars. During the meeting, they revealed some pretty shocking information, completely changing what we once thought about the “red” planet that, suddenly, doesn’t seem so red anymore.

1. Mars Has Flowing Rivers Of Water On It

Yesterday, NASA announced that Mars actually has rivers of flowing water on it. What we once believed to be an arid and rocky desert of a planet is actually seasonal, not unlike our own planet Earth.

Lujendra Ojha, a planetary scientist at the Georgia Institute of Technology, made the discovery by using images from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

This raises a number of other questions, many of which are brought up in the press conference below.

“Mars is not the dry, arid planet that we thought of in the past … [and] liquid water has been found on Mars.” – James Green, NASA director of planetary sciences

2. Mars Could Have Had Extraterrestrial Life Living On It

“We are going to Mars, our journey to Mars is a science led expedition right now, but soon I hope we’ll be sending humans to the red planet to explore and science will lead the way. And today’s announcement of a really fascinating result about current water on Mars is one of the reasons why I feel it’s even more imperative that we send astrobiologists and planetary scientists to Mars to explore the question of, ‘Is there current life on Mars?’ ” – John Grunsfeld, five time space flown astronaut, Associate Administrator Head of NASA Science Mission Directive

Obviously, with the announcement that there is water on Mars, the possibility of life near the surface becomes ever more plausible. The press conference also goes into more details about the atmosphere and condition of Mars, and how the planet could have supported life in the past. I will elaborate on this in the next section.

Another interesting fact is that the possibility of life in the interior of Mars has always been quite high.

“The possibility of life in the interior of Mars has always been very high. There’s certainly water somewhere in the crust of Mars … It’s very likely, I think, that there is life somewhere in the crust of Mars.” – Alfred McEwen, Principal Investigator, HiRISE, University of Arizona (30:25)

3. Mars Was Once A Planet Very Much Like Earth, With A Giant Ocean

“The more we observe Mars, the more information we’re getting that it really is a fascinating planet, from the Curiosity Rover we now know that Mars once was like a planet very much like Earth, with long salty seas, with fresh water lakes, probably with snow capped peaks and clouds and a water cycle just like we’re studying here on Earth … Something has happened to Mars, it lost its water.” – John Grunsfeld, five time space flown astronaut, Associate Administrator Head of NASA Science Mission Directive

John also goes on to discuss the high likelihood that Mars previously sustained life, before whatever happened to the planet that lead to its change in climate. Scientists are still struggling to work out what exactly that event or series of events may have been. 

“Mars is the planet most like Earth … [and in the past,] Mars was a very different planet, it had an extensive atmosphere, and in fact it had what we believe was a huge ocean, perhaps as large as two thirds the Northern Hemisphere. And that ocean may have been as much as a mile deep. So Mars indeed three billion years ago had extensive water resources. But something happened. Mars suffered a major climate change and lost its surface water.” – James Green, NASA director of planetary physics

As pointed out in the press conference, this discovery is so exciting because it suggests that Mars could possibly sustain life in the present day. This is not only due to the presence of water; rovers have discovered that there is a lot more humidity in the air than we once thought. Indeed, the soils are moist, hydrated, and full of water.

“Today’s announcement  is one of the reasons why it’s even more imperative that we send astrobiologists and planetary scientists to Mars to explore the question of is there current life on Mars.” – Alfred McEwen, Principal Investigator, HiRISE, University of Arizona (source)

4. Something Happened To The Planet That Drastically Changed Its Climate

As you can see from the two quotes in the above section by John Grunsfeld and James Green (taken from the press conference below), something happened to Mars that drastically changed its environment. It seems the climate altered significantly, but what caused this change? Scientists at NASA have yet to figure this out, but some interesting theories have been proposed.
Given the fact that scientists are almost certain that life once existed on Mars, and without question throughout the universe, is it really that farfetched to assume that a race of intelligent beings once inhabited Mars?
We already have statements from a number of astronauts suggesting that intelligent extraterrestrial life has already been discovered.
“There is abundant evidence that we are being contacted, that civilizations have been monitoring us for a very long time.” – Former NASA Astronaut and Princeton Physics Professor (source
“I happen to be privileged enough to be in on the fact that we have been visited on this planet, and the UFO phenomenon is real… .” (source)
“Yes there have been crashed craft, and bodies recovered … We are not alone in the universe, they have been coming here for a long time.” – Dr. Edgar Mitchell, 6th man to walk on the Moon, Doctor of Science.(source) (source)
It’s not only a large and growing number of NASA astronauts who share this belief, it’s also political, military, and academic personnel from all over the world. And then there are the thousands of pages of documents detailing UFOs undertaking incredible aerial maneuvers. You can read more about that phenomenon, find some more quotes, and read a few articles here.
So, did historical intelligent life on the planet Mars have something to do with its drastic climate shift? At this point it’s impossible to say, but according to Dr. John Brandenburg, PhD, and plasma physicist, life on Mars was eradicated by nuclear war. He believes that a couple of intelligent civilizations from ancient history were responsbile for this, and in his published works, argues that the coloration and composition of Martian soil points to a series of “mixed-fission explosions” which lead to nuclear fallout on the planet.  (source)(source)
Like the astronauts quoted above, Brandenburg is no crackpot, he was involved in the Clementine Mission to the Moon, which was part of a joint space project between the Ballistic Missile Defence Organization (BMDO) and NASA. The mission discovered water at the Moon’s poles in 1994. He was the deputy manager of that mission. (Source: page 16 of 18)(source)(source)
Maybe intelligent life did have something to do with it? Brandenburg certainly seems to think so, but regardless of what caused Mars’ climate shift, we’ve certainly been left with some fascinating information to consider.

WIP- first oil project

7 Spices To Cook With For The Greatest Health Benefits

7 Spices To Cook With For The Greatest Health Benefits

Posted: 19 Sep 2015 08:54 AM PDT

Ever since I learned how to cook, I have been incorporating a variety of spices and herbs into my meals simply because I love the flavor. But when I found out the incredible benefits they were providing me, using them more often became a no-brainer.

Adding spices and herbs to your dishes is also a great way to keep other ingredients that can be detrimental to your health, such as salt, added sugars, and saturated fats, to a minimum. But make sure to use them at their peak, since the active compounds in herbs and spices are devalued over time.

In the past, many have viewed science as a means of bringing us that which we’ve never experienced before — using technology to provide synthetic options to better our health. But thankfully, modern day science has also done a lot of digging to uncover the medicinal properties of that which is, simply put: of the earth.

In reality, spices and herbs have been used to heal for centuries. Even 2,500 years ago, Confucius was attributing the consumption of ginger at every meal to improved digestion, while Ayurvedic medicine, which originated in India more than 3,000 years ago, has used spices and herbs to both heat and cool the body in relation to the balance of the digestive system.

So whether you’re looking for something sweet, spicy, or savory, let these herbs and spices, backed by plentiful studies, be your go-to for health boosting benefits like large amounts of antioxidants, antibacterial properties, the ability to lower blood sugar, inhibit the growth of cancer cells, alleviate nausea and pain, reduce inflammation, and so much more.

Cinnamon

Source: Authority Nutrition

Many people love cinnamon for its sugar-like taste. Sprinkled on toast, in a drink or mixed into a dessert recipe, it’s a staple in many of our kitchens. It also boasts powerful medicinal properties. Made from the inner bark of trees called Cinnamomum, this spice, which originated in Sri Lanka, is filled with antioxidants, which protect the body from cancer-causing free radicals. It also has anti-inflammatory properties and, according to the Mayo Clinic, powerful anti-diabetic properties as well.

Cumin

Growing up, every time I asked my mother what made any dish of hers taste so good, she always referred to cumin. It’s now one of my favorite spices to incorporate into dishes as well, and the benefits are just a bonus. Just like cinnamon, this Mediterranean spice has been found to lower blood glucose levels. A plethora of studies have also found that it can kill bacteria known as Helicobacter, which are linked to stomach ulcers. And black cumin in particular can aid in the reduction of inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis.

Turmeric

This beautifully bright orange spice, which is part of the ginger family, comes from the root of the curcuma longa plant, and has been found by the National Health Institute to treat a variety of ailments, including arthritis, heartburn, and stomach pain. It can also be used topically, working to heal skin inflammation and infected wounds. A study in The Journal of Biological Chemistry also found that the powerful antioxidant known as curcumin found in the spice works to improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy when used for breast cancer patients.

Cayenne Pepper

You may have recently noticed that this spice is becoming a regular ingredient in juice cleanses for its ability to both stimulate circulation and neutralize acidity within the body. This hot-tasting red powder contains the health-benefitting compound called capsaicin, which offers relief for joint pain, and one study even found that this specific compound might help to prevent lung cancer in smokers. Cayenne also has anti-irritant properties, and can help to ease the discomfort of sore throats, coughs, and diarrhea.

Ginger

Source: Mother Earth Living

This spice, a flowering plant that originated in China, has long been known as a reputable source for soothing upset stomachs, aiding in digestion, and fighting the flu and common cold. Gingerol, which is the main bioactive compound found in the spice, can be thanked for many of its medicinal properties. Studies have shown that the spice also has the ability to alleviate muscle pain and soreness, reduce inflammation, lower blood sugar, reduce heart disease, and fight cancer.

Rosemary

Native to southern Europe, this pungent perennial herb is a member of the mint family and has been found to have a variety of health benefits. Studies show that rosemary may be able to help cut your risk of cancer by cooking your meat with it. For instance, when ground beef patties are cooked, carcinogenic compounds are produced. This herb works to reduce that production due to its antifungal and antibacterial properties.

Thyme

Source: Pet Net

Another member of the mint family, this herb is popular in aromatherapy as an essential oil complete with anti-viral, anti-septic, anti-fungal, anti-parasitic, and anti-rheumatic properties. One study even found that thyme can reduce COX-2, an enzyme responsible for promoting inflammation, pain, and fever, in cells by 25 percent at the least, while its oil can lower the levels by almost 75 percent.

Supermoon Lunar Eclipse To Follow Mabon & Winter Finding Holiday for Autumn Equinox Second Harvest

Excalibur Publications

  

  http://www.etsy.com/shop/Excalibur14

Fall Equinox Sunrise At Stonehenge

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbiSWkcNmIA

First of Autumn - Enya

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tcg6yKSW4w0

Mabon / Autumn Equinox

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGlwzt0tnCQ

Ode to the Autumn Equinox

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoV5pcEVLQA

Sabbat Mabon - Autumn Equinox

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssB7xFurTgw

Impressions of Autumn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WdYRyA_opE

Six months after the day the sun crossed the equator, during which the hours of the night and day were equal in length, on the Autumn Equinox the sun once again crosses the equator. Again, the time of day and of night are equal in length. At the earlier equinox the sun crossed the equator while the days grew progressively longer and the nights shorter. Now, on the Autumn Equinox, the days continue to grow gradually shorter and the nights longer. For the remainder of the year, until Yule, each day night will be longer than the time of daylight. The Autumn Equinox, which occurs each year around September 22, marks the end of summer and the beginning of fall or autumn. This year the Autumn Equinox will be on Wednesday (Odin's Day), September 23 (Shedding 23) at 4:21 AM EDT, 3:21 AM CDT, 2:21 AM MDT, and 1:21 AM PDT.

This year, four days after the Equinox, the night of September 27, we will also have a supermoon lunar eclipse. It will begin around 10:11 pm EDT, 9:11 PM CDT, 8:11 PM MDT, and 7:11 PM PDT. More information on this is provided in the link in the last article below. This eclipse occurs the night before the actual full moon, during which, as practitioners know, the energies of the full moon are available and accessible. This year you will have the diminishing energies of the Equinox, combined with the growing energies of a super full moon and a lunar eclipse. For those who practice either group or solitary full moon rituals, the one for this month may be one of special and rare significance and meaning with increased power. 

With the equinox six months earlier we saw the earth begin to transform from the drab grayness of winter into the greening of spring as nature continued to awaken in a renewal of life from her winter slumber. Now, we enter the season of the Wheel of the Year when periods of cool, sometimes cold, weather will alternate with periods of warmer days, or in some parts of the country we pass through what we know as “Indian Summer.” But the days will continue to grow cooler, almost in relief after the hot days of summer, which are now over until spring and then summer returns on the eternal Wheel of the Year. Nature gradually becomes less green. But before the drab grayness of winter, sometimes blanketed in the whiteness of snow, comes, we witness what in many areas may be the most colorful time of the year. Leaves turn into a variety of sometimes brilliant colors before they are shed as trees prepare to go into their annual hibernation for winter. Especially in more northerly areas, the perceptive may already detect the faint stirrings of the frost giants, beaten back by Thor earlier in the year, but who are now slowly reawakening to again assail our world. The increasing signs of the season to follow the one now beginning is why this holiday is called on the Norse calendar Winter Finding. 

This holiday not only celebrates the Autumn Equinox, it is also the second of the harvest festivals. By now in most areas the harvesting of the year’s crops has been completed or is about to be finished. For Pagans, this main harvest festival, which could also be called Second Harvest, is our real “Thanksgiving.” This is the day to call upon in appreciation and to honor our Gods and Goddesses of the harvest as we earlier did for those more associated with fertility. Too many today fail to realize that the harvesting of bountiful crops is really as critically important for us now as it was for our ancestors. Today for many people crop failures and resulting shortages may be noticed more in the form of price increases at the grocery store, with serious trouble indicated by some items not as available as they usually are and then only for outrageously higher prices. But it was not that many generations ago that how well or how poor was the year’s crops determined how, or even if, one was able to survive the coming winter season.

Before what we now know by the name was imported from the Americas, the English “corn” originally was a word used to mean “wheat” or, more generically, “grain.” A harvest tradition across Northern Europe which goes back 4,000 years or more was to take the last sheaves of the “corn” which were harvested for that year, and to fashion them into various shapes, depending upon the custom of the area and the time. These shaped sheaves were stored in honored places until the following spring, when they would be sewn into the ground along with seeds for the spring planting. It was believed that the spirit of the plants of the crop lived on after harvesting. The figures fashioned from the last harvested sheaves were made to provide a home for the spirit of the crop which lived on during the fall and winter months. This spirit was returned to its natural home in the earth, or in the plants which grew from it, with the next spring planting. This annual ritual was done in the hope for a good crop the coming year, and in respect for not only the spirit of the crop but also in reverence for other spirits of the land, and for the Gods and Goddesses, who oversee fertility and other forces of nature. This spirit was personified in some areas as “corn maiden,” in others as “corn mother.” In the British Isles these figures evolved into what we know today as “corn dollies.” Vegetarians like to refrain from eating meat because living animals are killed to provide that meat, yet not overlooked by our ancestors is that plants are also living, breathing life forms. All life forms have an aura, energy, or spirit of some sort. Even otherwise inanimate objects can absorb, collect and exude energy over time.

Autumn Equinox and the Second Harvest have been celebrated down through the ages all over the world by innumerable peoples and their cultures, and under many names. In some areas Druids celebrated this holiday as Alban Elfed, which means “Light of the Water.” Elsewhere this holiday has been celebrated as Harvest Home, Feast of Avalon, Cornucopia, or the Festival of Dionysus. Those following a revived Celtic path have come to celebrate it as Mabon. This holiday is named in honor of the Celtic Welsh God Mabon, or Mabon ap Modron, which means “Great Son of the Great Mother.” Mabon’s mother, Modron, is Guardian of the Otherworld. In lore, shortly after he was born, Mabon was taken and disappears for a time. He is later rescued, revived or returned—similar to how the light or power of the sun, at Autumn Equinox, weakens or begins to “disappear” for a time, only to later return and revive.

The drama of Autumn Equinox is reflected in the Greek tale of Demeter, Goddess of grain and of the harvest, and her daughter Persephone, Goddess of vegetation. Demeter is also viewed as presiding over sacred law and as one of the founders of the Eleusinian Mysteries. Hades abducted Persephone and took her to the underworld realm over which he rules and after whom it is named. In her anguish in searching for but not finding her daughter Persephone, Demeter cursed the vegetation of the earth. Vegetation and plant life were to vanish and appear to die for as long as Persephone was gone. Trees lost their leaves and went into slumber. All kinds of plant life withered away. The earth began to look very bleak. Zeus then worked out an arrangement in which Persephone would reside with Hades only a few months, and would return to reside with her mother and on the earth the rest of the year. When Persephone returned, plants again sprouted, leaves returned to the trees, crops were able to grow again, and the earth came back to life. But when Persephone returns each year to the underworld, plants again wither, and nature again falls into the slumber of winter.

The Norse version of this holiday, Winter Finding, is the time of year homage is paid to Sif, Goddess of the harvest, of grain and of plenty. Sif is the mother of Uller, Norse God of archery, of skiing and of winter. So Sif, who is honored while celebrating the Second Harvest at the coming of Autumn, as the mother of Uller, may also be said to be the mother of winter. Sif is also the wife of Thor. In addition to his more well known role as defender of Asgard, the realm of the Aesir, and of Midgard (or, when translated more into our modern English, Middle Earth), the realm of mortal humans, Thor is also a patron of yeomen and a friend of common people generally. Sif is known for her beautiful golden colored hair, which can be seen as a symbol of wheat and other grain crops which, when ripe for harvesting, appear golden in the field. One night, while Sif was asleep, the spiteful Loki sneaked into her bedroom and cut off her hair. Terrified of the wrath of an outraged Thor, Loki offered to go to the dwarves, renowned as skilled craftsmen, to obtain a special item which would remedy the harm he had done. The dwarves crafted a headpiece made of fine golden threads which, when placed on Sif’s head, attached and grew as her own hair, more beautiful than before. The conniving Loki was also able to induce the dwarves to craft a number of other items, including Gungnir, which became Odin’s spear, which never misses its mark, the golden bristled Gullinbursti, which became Freyr’s boar, and the special weapon named Mjollnir (“Crusher”) which became Thor’s Hammer. As Sif’s golden hair symbolizes crops ripe in the fields, the cutting of Sif’s hair may be seen as representing the harvesting of bountiful crops during the final harvest. 

The next planned e-newsletter will be about what for many, including me, is one of the most favorite holidays of the year, Samhain or Winter Nights, aka Halloween. Stories, poetry, prose or invocations you may wish to share will be appreciated and enjoyed by your fellow Pagans on the e-mail list for this e-newsletter. 

                                                                                               Gandalf

HARVEST PRAYER TO THE ALL FATHER 

FOR THE SOLITARY SPIRIT

All Father, I come thankfully to lay my altar before you.

I have banned the chaos from this space to commune with you,

to open my heart and mind to your strong and fertile power.

I see you in the harvest about me; I come to praise you and to thank you!

You are Life’s germination, the magical spark of Life’s continuation,

the tassel and seed in the fields of grain,

the bursting fruit swollen by your rain and ripened by the Sun.

You are our Mother’s gardner sowing the seeds of life

onto this holy womb, this Mother Earth.

All Father, you are the magnet in my soul drawing me to the horizon,

the yearning within me to wander and seek beyond the Sunset,

the drive to explore, the unrest, the thirst to quest.

You are the shadow that gives form to Light, the gravity that anchors flight.

You received the spark of my spirit and set it in the cradle that is Earth.  

Your birthing hands set my days in toll and your arms will carry me

back to the Great Mother’s womb to be remade, renewed, reborn.

You spin the wheel of birth and life and death, the devoted partner

of the Goddess I adore.

I call to you beloved All Father at this season’s Harvesting time.

I feel your magic in the harvest bounty piled high in the silos,

the barns and the cribs.

I celebrate the pulse of this life you set in toll and helped me mold!

Come see my celebration, my joy behold.

This turning Wheel is the bounty of your wisdom,

your plan to carry us through the dark months of wind and cold.

I raise this fruit, this fertile seed, this tribute to my Lord and Lady Queen!  

Be here with me – hear my harvest song as I offer my harvest prayer.

I too am renewed, replenished from your Season of Light,

strengthened and nourished as I step to the turning wheel again.  

I am nourished by the power of this passing season,

walking joyful, my spirit strong  and without fear.  

I harvest the Earth-deep,  love and peace of the Great Mother,

the fertile wisdom and willful spirit of my All Father.  

Like the barns and stockpiles and fruit jars fully filled,

I have stockpiled the Light of Life in this passing year.   

Hear my reverent prayer of thanks this Harvest night!

Rowana the Druid

Sif´s Seasons                 

From springtime´s barley sowing,

Ears shining like the sun

Deck bald fields with their glowing,

A headdress newly spun.

The rain descends in summer

Midst Thunder´s rumbling clap

As gently as the hammer

Into the young bride´s lap.

With autumn come the thieves

To cut the golden hair,

Our folk again receives

A harvest rich and fair.

As winter fields lie fallow,

We cherish every sheaf:

We bake and brew and hallow

The golden gifts of Sif.

                                                                        © Michaela Macha

INVOCATION OF PLENTY  

Sweet Autumn ‘s breath,  Memories of Old,

Ancestral knowledge as rich as the leaves.

Bones of the Earth, blood of the Sea

Nourish our children and nourish our deeds.

Winter’s hearth fire Igniting our hope

Flaming visions of health, our bodies alive.

Hands of our People, Minds of our Time

Keep building a future where our children may thrive.

Salt spray of Autumn, replenishing Peace,

Cool waters of Worlds which bring blissful song.

Wisdom of ancients and Respect for those gone

Bathes all of our actions in virtuous calm.

Mabon’s ripe vine, abundance of Love,

Horns spilling over with fruit, grain and seeds.

Bones of the Earth, Blood of the Sea

Nourish our children and nourish our deeds.

Oh bounteous Earth, beauty of souls,

The Magick within our sisters and brothers,

We nourish Earth’s Temple with food of our spirits,

May we all learn to nourish each other.

Jason Hauser, The Rowan Tree Church

Sif

I am the seed, lost in ignorance and fear.
Encompass me in the nurturing darkness of Your rich soil. 
Let my roots drink deeply from the nectar of wisdom that You offer.
Let me appreciate each day and hour of my journey,
each moment of my blossoming faith, 
for each step I take, though difficult, brings me closer to You.

Let me treasure the time I must spend 
nurturing my awareness of Your bounty and grace. 
Let me feel the gentle comfort of Your patient guidance. 
I seek to grow in faith, in knowledge of You,
the lessons of the passage of time etched upon my toughening skin, 
the tales of my survival by Your grace engraved upon each withering leaf 
of the days and nights of my existence.

Teach me to craft, in gentle service, 
a home within my heart that will be an honor to You.
Let me never hesitate to invite You
into the home that is my heart.

                                                                  © Galina Krasskova

DEMETER’S HYMN

 

Maiden and youth, as fresh as the dew,

New life unfolding, golden in hue

In the eyes of the young, the wheel never turns,

Spring is unending, the lamp always burns.

Youth is protecting, exultant and bright,

His arms encircle his Maiden of Light.

A chalice of crystal, to the athame a sheath,

The maiden enfolding, new life now beneath.

The seed has been planted, the new life will form,

Daughter of promise, Maiden of Corn.

Mother and Father, consort and queen,

They dance through the forest, they dance on the green.

The see the wheel as it winds on its ways,

Marking the seasons, counting their days.

Their children dance with them, golden and warm,

The harvest is ripening, kept safe from all harm.

Like silver and gold, life burnished bright,

The fruits of the Summer, they shine in the light.

Sweet horn of plenty, may your promise be born,

Bountiful Lady, Mother of Corn.

Grandmother, Grandfather, they stand arm in arm,

Their circle near ending and waiting the dawn.

They know well the wheel as they circle about,

Their voices speak softer, no need to shout.

New life and old, they faced each in turn,

Knowing that new from the old will return.

He dreams of the night of what he has been,

Lord of the Forest, Lord of the Green.

But the bones of an old man are painful and worn,

Will his Lady remember her Lord of the Horn?

She sees him still as virile and young,

Blind to the changes the long years have wrung.

A chalice of crystal, with the eyes of the wise,

Knowing that love that is true never dies.

The harvest is gathered, how full is the horn,

Lady of Wisdom, Crone of the Horn.

The wheel it has circled, time without end,

Old life remembers, and welcomes the grain.

For the corn and the seed are one and the same,

That which has been, will be again.

Demeter our Mother, behold the newborn,

Mother of all, behold the corn!

 

                                                                                             Lyn Hubert

Rare Supermoon Lunar Eclipse Coming This Month The cosmic event will take place on the night of Sept. 27 when two periodic events -- supermoons and lunar eclipses -- will happen at the same time, making for a rare coincidence. ... Read the full story

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