Bee Pollen

Exotic, even bizarre, remedies, ranging from peacock excrement to moss grown on the skull of a man who had died by violence, have long been part of our medical lore. In fact, man has been extremely diligent in searching out such unusual materials, possibly in the hope that they may possess unusual curative properties. Pollen is a relatively recent example of such a medication. Although pollen extracts have been used for many years to detect and provide immunity against allergies, it is only during the past few years that pollen itself has become widely available in the form of tablets, capsules, extracts, and the like, which are recommended for a variety of ailments.

Herbs In The Kitchen

The tradition of using herbs to flavour foods is nothing new. It is, in fact, almost as old as the human species itself.
Archaeologists have found evidence which suggests that the earliest cooks used parts of certain plants to season and improve the flavour of particular foods. Mustard seed was chewed with meat, it seems, and the seeds of wild wheat and barley were sprinkled on other foods to add a nutty taste.

Apep

Apep (or Apophis or Apopis), a dragon of Chaos was an Egyptian dragon and can be seen as the opposite of the sun god Re (or Ra). Every day Apep fought with Re, in order to turn the world into darkness. Apep wanted to prevent Re in travelling from east to west across the sky each day. He fought with, storms and darkness and rain against Re. At the end of the day, Apep succeeded and Re made went into the Underworld. This is the moment when darkness (night) covered the earth instead of daylight. Re, however, was reborn the next day, as a matter of fact, he was reborn every day, so Apep had to fight the same battle with Re over and over. This battle can be seen as symbol of the cycle of life and death (information provided by Dragonfly).

Devil’s Claw

Harpagophytum procumbens
Devil’s Claw

The herbal remedy identified as the devil’s claw by herbalist is in fact, the secondary storage roots of the plant Harpagophylum procumbens DC., which is a native South African herb of the plant family known as Pedaliaceae. The plants peculiarly shaped fruits give the herbal remedy its common name the “Devil’s Claw”, as the fruits seem to be covered all over with what resemble miniature grappling hooks. The devil’s claw, is the name commonly attributed to the plant in the United States, this interesting name is in reality, a literal translation of the German common name Teufelskralle by which it was first identified. The other synonymous name for this herb in the English language includes the “wood spider” and the “grapple plant”.

Salt Dough

One of the simplest, and one of my favourite crafts, is salt dough. It is really fun. You can mold it into any shape you like, such as goddesses, gods, pentacles, etc. All is you have to do is follow the recipe below, form it into your shapes, set them on a oven tray, and bake them until hard. This depends on what sort of oven you are using. In fact, you can even bake them in the microwave. After baking them, just paint them, and let dry. Voila, you have cute little figures perfect for jewellery, ornaments, decorations, or anything else you can think of.

Global Mythology – An Introduction

Lesson 13

What is mythology and why do we use the term “global mythology”?

A myth is often defined as an accepted belief that is unsubstantiated by fact.

Some people consider any belief system that is not their own to be myth. For many, mythology may just be the stories of the ancient Greeks and Romans.

Zeaxanthin

Zeaxanthin is an antioxidant carotenoid that may help prevent a leading cause of blindness among older people: macular degeneration.
The macula is a tiny dimple on the retina that is responsible for fine vision. Damage to the macula can cause blurry vision, or a dark spot in the field of vision. It can eventually lead to a loss of central vision, which can make it impossible to read, drive, or operate a computer. There is no cure for macular degeneration, but in some cases surgery may help to slow its progress. Free radical damage from ultraviolet radiation is believed to be a contributing factor, if not the cause, of macular degeneration. In fact, studies have shown lower than normal blood levels of protective antioxidants in people who develop macular degeneration.

Fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS)

Fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS), a complex sugar derived from plants, is widely used in Japan in more than 450 different food products. Unlike the refined sugar, FOS is actually good for you. In fact, it offers so many health benefits that it is now being marketed as a nutritional supplement. Also known as neosugar or inulin, FOS is abundant in Jerusalem artichokes and is found in smaller amounts in many different fruits and vegetables.

Coenzyme Q10

Coenzyme Q10, a natural substance produced by the body, belongs to a family of compounds called quinones. When it was first isolated in 1957, scientists called it ubiquinone, because it is ubiquitous in nature. In fact, coenzyme Q10 is found in all living creatures and is also concentrated in many foods, including nuts and oils. In the past decade, coenzyme Q10 has become one of the most popular dietary supplements around the world. Proponents of the nutrient use it to maintain general good health, as well as to treat heart disease and a number of other serious conditions.

Anguish

by Brian Edward Rise

 
King of Ireland and father to Iseult, beloved of Tristan. Demanding tribute from Cornwall, Anguish sends his brother-in-law, Morholt, to enforce the tribute in single combat with the Cornish champion (Celtic tribes often settled disputes by a battle of champions rather than field combat. In fact, they extol it’s virtues in works such as the Tain bo Culainge). Accepting the challenge, Tristan slays Morhalt.