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```*+*``` Happy Valentine's Day ```*+*```

The legend of Valentine's Day true origin remain wrapped in shrouded mystery. Long before any connections between these named men and what we celebrate modernly as Valentine's Day, we see a festival of fertility in ancient Rome.. February 15th is lupercalia and a celebration specific to the city of Rome. Some believe that this festival was descendant from the wolf of legend that reared romulus and Remus. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the saint whose feast was celebrated on the day now known as St. Valentine's Day was possibly one of three martyred men named Valentinus, who lived in the late third century during the reign of Emperor Claudius II: a priest in Rome, a bishop of Interamna (modern Terni), or a martyr in the Roman province of Africa, but there is no way of knowing which of these men our Valentine's Day is named for (if any). The earliest recorded mention of Valentine's Day with a romantic associationn is from Geoffrey Chaucer (The Canterbury Tales). Taken from Parliament of Foules (1382) : For this was seynt Volantynys day/Whan euery bryd comyth there to/Chese his make.  [choose his mate]. Chaucer wrote this for Richard 11 and his wife Anne of Bohemia. Through the late middle ages and Renaissance, the idea of courtly love spread. Is it a flowing and flowering display of affection that is done in front of all eyes, and is therefore, proper its nature and unadulterated and pure in form. The earlier surviving 'valentine' was written by Charles of Orleans. He wrote it to his wife while held in the Tower of London as a result of the 1415 Battle of Agincourt.

The Early Medieval acta of either Saint Valentine were excerpted by Bede and briefly expounded in Legenda Aurea,^[12] According to that version, St Valentine was persecuted as a Christian and interrogated by Roman Emperor Claudius II in person. Claudius was impressed by Valentine and had a discussion with him, attempting to get him to convert to Roman paganism in order to save his life. Valentine refused and tried to convert Claudius to Christianity instead. Because of this, he was executed. Before his execution, he is reported to have performed a miracle by healing the blind daughter of his jailer. Legenda Aurea still providing no connections whatsoever with sentimental love, appropriate lore has been embroidered in modern times to portray Valentine as a priest who refused an unattested law attributed to Roman Emperor Claudius II, allegedly ordering that young men remain single. The Emperor supposedly did this to grow his army, believing that married men did not make for good soldiers. The priest Valentine, however, secretly performed marriage ceremonies for young men. When Claudius found out about this, he had Valentine arrested and thrown in jail. In an embellishment to The Golden Legend, on the evening before Valentine was to be executed, he wrote the first "valentine" himself, addressed to a young girl variously identified as his beloved, as the jailer's daughter whom he had befriended and healed, or both, It was a note that read "From your Valentine." In another apparently modern embellishment, while Valentine was imprisoned, people would leave him little notes, folded up and hidden in cracks in the rocks around his cell. He would find them and offer prayers for them. (information taken verbatum or in parts from Wikipedia)  --submitted by Cassie Saxton

```*+*``` Allied and Friends Events ```*+*```

The Gauntlet sponsored by Laurë Anor Provinces was held on January 23rd - Joseph McDonough accompanied 'Delia Sandrine, a guest of Heathfield from Telarus to the Gauntlet Event. He had found it was one that she'd been going to and determined to beat the Beast. One had four tries on the contraption to make it through. While 'Delia didn't make it through her first two attempts, she had done far better than he. So much padding had been used in his first two attempts that after the second and not even getting past the first stage, he started the third try with less. He finally did better. On his last try he made it through the third stage before being knocked off. 'Delia had not done as well in her last two attempts but everyone had fun in a challenging night out.  --submitted by Joseph McDonough

Sow's Ear Tavern Night  The Sow's Ear Tavern was the place to be on Friday, January 25th.  Seamus and Joe McAndrews attended the event which brought together many old and new friends from various realms.  Seamus also brought his lute which always guarantees a song or three as well as a case of potcheen to share.  The servers kept the drinks flowing, the conversation was lively and a grand time was had by all.  --submitted by Joe McAndrews

Queen Julia Noir Serenading Queen Honeee - On a cold snowy evening in Heathfield our lovely Queen, Honeee accompanied by the youngest of her children, Princess Lydia, was serenaded by Santa in the courtyard of Heathfield Castle.  The Santa was no other than the lovely and talented Queen of Telarus, Julia Noir.  Queen Julia had lost a bet to the Crown Prince, Chadwick McAndrews.  Unfortunately Rick was unable to hear it himself but  Crown Prince Andrew and Princess Noirin were among those watching and listening among many Telarus notables and Queen Victoria  of Devonshires, her escort James Scarlett and Lady Constance. While Queen Julia sang a song of her own composition, Queen Honeee and Princess Lydia showered the crowd with rose petals and gold foil covered chocolate coins.  Following the serenade, everyone was invited into the castle for refreshments and visiting.  A good time was had by all and we thank Queen Julia for being such a good sport and wonderful friend.  --submitted by Noirin MacNeil

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Healer's Touch
by Samantha Golden

Blue Cohosh - The Indians called blue cohosh papoose root, believing it triggered labor and hastened childbirth. They were right. Science shows that an active substance found in blue cohosh can induce labor. This substance is so powerful, in fact, that the herb should be used only under medical supervision. Blue cohosh is not related to black cohosh - they belong to different botanical families. But the Indians used both as gynecological herbs and called them both cohosh, Algonquian for 'rough' because they both have gnarled roots. The 'blue' refers to this herb's bluish stem and dark blue berries.

In addition to using it to induce labor, menstruation and abortion, the Indians also used blue cohosh to treat sore throat, hiccups, infant colic, epilepsy and arthritis. Some Indian women even drank a strong decoction as a contraceptive. Modern herbals recommend blue cohosh as a labor inducer and menstruation promoter. Some herbalists also suggest it for asthma, anxiety, cough, arthritis and high blood pressure.

Healing with Blue Cohosh

Labor Inducer - Researchers have discovered a chemical (caulosaponin) in blue cohosh that provokes strong uterine contractions, thus supporting its primary Indian use. However, caulosaponin also narrows the arteries that supply blood to the heart. Blue cohosh has produced heart damage in laboratory animals, and human heart damage seems quite possible from overdose. On the other hand, blue cohosh does not appear to be significantly more hazardous than Pitocin, the standard drug used to induce labor, which may also cause heart damage and other serious side effects, including even maternal and fetal death.

Menstruation Promotion - As a powerful uterine stimulant, blue cohosh could certainly trigger menstruation. But women should not use it for this purpose. It's too powerful and its side effects are potentially too serious.

Intriguing Possibilities - Researchers in India have discovered tantalizing evidence that the American Indians may have been on the right track in using blue cohosh as a contraceptive. In animals the herb inhibits ovulation, according to a report published in the Journal of Reproduction and Fertility. European researchers have identified some antibiotic and immune-stimulating properties in blue cohosh explaining its use for bladder and kidney infections. Finally, blue cohosh also has anti-inflammatory activity, lending credence to its traditional use for arthritis.

Rx for Blue Cohosh, The Safety Factor - Blue cohosh is a powerful herb that should be administered by a physician. The decoction tastes initially somewhat sweet, then bitter and unpleasant. No one with high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, glaucoma, or a history of stroke should use blue cohosh.   --Taken from The Healing Herbs by Michael Castleman

Life Around Here

It's often said that there is no place like home, and after having endured a prolonged absence from Heathfield, I am only too happy to be back.  Please note that I made specific use of the word "endured".  Due to personal circumstances with my family, which are too complex to mention in so short an article, I have long been without a home, a homeland.  Heathfield has come to be that homeland for me, and I am glad to be back to her.  (And to a certain sculptress, but that's another story!)

I've noticed that I am not the only resident to have come back home.  Kizzie Cohen, heart sister to my dear cousin Cassandry, has also come home after some time away.  I would like to take a moment to welcome Miss Cohen back, as a fellow recent returnee.  Also among those coming home to roost after extended absences is a young man made good, Kyle Carlysle.  Mr. Carlysle had returned to Heathfield, having earned his degree in law at the University of Barcelona, and was going to open a private practice as a barrister here.  Fortunate circumstance has instead found him in the employ of the crown.  In addition to those of us that have come to home, there has been an influx of new faces, all people who have seen fit to visit the realm, some with the intent to stay.  Whether coming home again, seeking a place to start a new life, or simply stopping over for a visit, I would offer that there is one thing in common to all three purposes... the allure of Heathfield as a decent place to live, or visit.

From the generosity and just rule of the monarchy, to the friendliness of her citizens, and the availability of services and amenities, Heathfield is a rare and unique place, and a genuine find.  Sometimes, whether we mean to or not, we all take things for granted, or grumble about certain events in our lives.  We tend to forget how well we truly have it.  I was away from the realm for nearly a year, and I lamented every bit of that time.  I come home to her with a renewed appreciation of everything that she has to offer, and the warm reception that I've received upon my return.  (And yes, I'm referring to the sculptress, and not just the realm!)  I urge each and every one of you... take a few moments out of your busy day and take a good look around.  Look at what's here, and what's available to you, and perhaps your day just might seem a little bit brighter. --submitted by Michael Saxton

Births: None this month. Marriages: None this month. Engagements: None this month Deaths: None this Month. Citizenship: Please welcome Seanan O'Caiside, Ivan Malatok, Wil Cayhill and Kyle Carlysle appointed as our new barrister.

Phoenixes -- The phoenix, sometimes called a fenix or firebird, is a majestic, glorious bird with purple and gold plumage. Custom says that there is only one phoenix alive at a given time, but the fowl is so rare that no one has been able to corroborate this notion. They do not require food to sustain themselves, though they have been known to eat the gum of the frankincense tree (Boswellia thurifera).

A phoenix will live for centuries (five hundred years, according to one source), whereupon it will build a nest of cinnamon myrrh and spikenard. There it incinerates itself by reflecting the sun off its plumage to spark a fire and fanning the flames with its wings. Nine days later, another phoenix hatches from those same ashes.

The bright plumage would seem indicative of a male but upon closer inspection it is found to be genderless. It's call is one of the most beautiful to be heard and its songs become longer and longer as the nest approaches completion.

 -- submitted by Kathleen Frasier - from Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide. Everyone should have one!

February

The name February is believed to have derived from the name 'Februa' taken from the Roman 'Festival of Purification'. The root 'februo' meaning to 'I purify by sacrifice'. As part of the seasonal calendar February is the time of the 'Ice Moon' according to Pagan beliefs, and the period described as the 'Moon of the Dark Red Calf' by Black Elk (Black Elk Speaks, Neihardt). February has also been known as 'Sprout-kale' by the Anglo-Saxons in relation to the time the kale and cabbage was edible. It is a time when favorable colors to improve personal healing are amethyst, white and blue-violet (the color of crocus flowers). These are the colors often associated with winter whilst the delicate crocus and snowdrops, along with the scented carnation lend beauty and a glimpse of the fine weather to come in spring to a time of austerity. The herbs and produce of the woodland too are closely connected, with nuts and cones, musk, marjoram and mimosa lending sweetness. As the second month of the winter calendar the holy thistle too reminds us of the link with winters rule and faith tested in times of extreme hardships. The fox and its brother on a distant shore the coyote find the ability to retrieve food in the harshest of environments. As we approach spring birds too are seen to be remembered with January, with the pheasant appearing from the hedgerow and the jay (and the blue-jay) taking to the wing as a sign of the skies and earth giving hope of insect life and nesting materials.

Metaphorical associations between the gospel writer 'Mark' and this period in the Celtic calendar known as 'Imbolc' which continues through to April. Mark was considered to be an ordinary man with incredible powers of communication evidenced in his writing which was thought of as colorful and exciting. The move between each story in the bible was seen to be swift and therefore was equated to the raging speed of the winds experienced at this time of the year. February is the first month of Imbolc, with the length of the day increases and with it the warmth and power of the sun, and the festival of 'Candlemas' (2 February) is central to both the Celtic and Christian beliefs. The rhythms of nature are embodied in the woman, together with the ability to bring forth life. So the feast is associated with the potential fertility of the land, the preparation. In the Celtic church it is 'Brigid' (1 February) and in the Christian 'St. Brigit' (2 February) who personify these qualities. Both are associated with 'Mary and motherhood', 'Gaia and the earth goddess', the 'motherhood of God'. This should be considered in connection with the astrological calendar, as here we see the symbol of the circle complete in 'Pisces' and the hope of life anew as we approach 'Aries', the end and the beginning, the old and the new, the death and the life. All indicate a higher spiritual awareness and growth. As a result the fish and the ram are important in animal mythology, although birds too have great significance as we approach the period of Easter. As part of the astrological calendar, February has many associations. This is the month of the house of Aquarius (20 January - February 19) and the house of Pisces (20 February - March 20).  (Mystical World Wide Web - February)  

The Gregorian calendar, which now serves as the standard calendar for civil use throughout the world, has both common years and leap years. A common year has 365 days and a leap year 366 days, with the extra, or intercalary, day designated as February 29. A leap year occurs every four years to help synchronize the calendar year with the solar year, or the length of time it takes the earth to complete its orbit about the sun, which is about 365¼ days. The length of the solar year, however, is slightly less than 365¼ days—by about 11 minutes. To compensate for this discrepancy, the leap year is omitted three times every four hundred years. In other words, a century year cannot be a leap year unless it is divisible by 400. Thus 1700, 1800, and 1900 were not leap years, but 1600, 2000, and 2400 are leap years. Leap Year has been the traditional time that women can propose marriage. In many of today's cultures, it is okay for a woman to propose marriage to a man. Society doesn't look down on such women. However, that hasn't always been the case. When the rules of courtship were stricter, women were only allowed to pop the question on one day every four years. That day was February 29th.

St. Bridget's Complaint - It is believed this tradition was started in 5th century Ireland when St. Bridget complained to St. Patrick about women having to wait for so long for a man to propose. According to legend, St. Patrick said the yearning females could propose on this one day in February during the leap year.

February 29th in English Law - According to English law, February 29th was ignored and had no legal status. Folks assumed that traditions would also have no status on that day. It was also reasoned that since the leap year day existed to fix a problem in the calendar, it could also be used to fix an old and unjust custom that only let men propose marriage. The first documentation of this practice dates back to 1288, when Scotland passed a law that allowed women to propose marriage to the man of their choice in that year. They also made it law that any man who declined a proposal in a leap year must pay a fine. The fine could range from a kiss to payment for a silk dress or a pair of gloves. --submitted by Mary Colleen McAndrews

Wonder
by Ibn Arabi

Wonder,
A garden among the flames!

My heart can take on any form:
A meadow for gazelles,
A cloister for monks,
For the idols, sacred ground,
Ka'ba for the circling pilgrim,
The tables of the Torah,
The scrolls of the Quran.

My creed is Love;
Wherever its caravan turns along the way,
That is my belief,
My faith.

--submitted by Deshira al-Azhar

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Stanzas For Music
by Lord Byron

There be none of Beauty's daughters
 With music like thee;
And like music on the waters
 Is they sweet voice to me:
When, as if its sound were causing
The charmed ocean's pausing,
The waves lie still and gleaming,
And the lull'd winds seem dreaming.

And the midnight moon is weaving,
 Her bright chain o'er the deep;
Whose breast is gently heaving,
 As an infant's asleep:
So the spirit bows before thee,
To listen and adore thee;
With a full but soft emotion,
Like the swell of a Summer's ocean.

--submitted by Mary Colleen McAndrews

Did You Know?

Labyrinths - In Europe, grass labyrinths were laid out around a central upright, often a tree, stone or cross. The turns of the labyrinth were believed to symbolize the world serpent, while the upright at the center of the maze perhaps stood for the cosmic axis. Some ancient maze names hint at the mythological role of the serpent: the ancient grass labyrinth at Steigra, south of Leipzig in Germany, is known as the Schlangengang ("snake path"). And the grass labyrinth in the Eilenriede Forest, Hannover, Germany, still contains a large linden tree growing at its center. Another symbolic representation of the world tree is the Maypole. The spiral patterns often painted around it may represent the serpent ascending and descending the cosmic axis. The magical prosperities of the axis were believed allow human beings access to the spirit world. Ancient peoples thought that the spirits could speak at omphalos sites. At Delphi in ancient Greece, the oracle had her temple and foretold the future.

Shamanic Journeys - From North America to Mongolia, shamans, the healers and visionaries of the ancient world, used spiritual techniques to gain access to other worlds, or other states of consciousness, through the cosmic axis. In the myths and legends of virtually every culture, the gods, goddesses, and heroic mortals also used the cosmic axis to journey between different worlds. In their trances, shamans ride up the cosmic axis into the heavenly upper world or down into the underworld. In some cultures, the shaman literally climbs a tree or pole to reach heaven. Among the Koryak of Siberia, shamans climb a post in the middle of the ritual hut, into which steps have been cut, making the post a stairway to heaven.

A Universal Concept - Most ancient peoples possessed some concept of the symbolic center of the world. The sacred center could take the form of a special stone, as at Delphi, a holy city like the Inca Cuzco (the name means navel in the Quechua tongue), or, for the Semang people of the Maylay Peninsula, a large rock where their god, Batu-Ribn, is believed to emerge at the center of the world. The twisting symbol of he labyrinth has been traced back over 3,500 years. It occurs in different cultures, at different points in time. In places as diverse as Peru, Arizona, Scandinavia, Germany, France, Italy, Crete, Egypt and India. The design of the labyrinth symbol consists of a single meandering pathway that leads from the entrance to the center. Throughout the world and throughout history, it has been carved on wood and rock faces, woven into the design on blankets and baskets, laid out on the ground in the desert and on shorelines, in colored stone or tiles on the floors of villas, churches and cathedrals and cut into the living earth on village greens and hilltops. Occasionally the design of the labyrinth itself is altered or developed, but usually it is utilized with no significant variation. The labyrinth has often been employed as a symbol of the omphalos, the sacred center, or the navel of the world. Some ancient Roman mosaic labyrinths were surrounded by a depiction of fortified walls; the center of the labyrinth represented the various cities of the Roman Empire. In medieval, Christianized Europe, the labyrinths appeared in churches and cathedrals. The centers of some these were designated as Jerusalem, the Christian Holy City. In this instance the labyrinth stood as a symbol of Christian faith, making it clear to the faithful that there is only one path to the center, just as there is only one path to salvation. -- submitted by Samantha Golden (taken from Earth's Mysterious Places, Reader's Digest)

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