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```*+*``` !!! Royal Wedding !!! ```*+*```

     The wedding of Crown Prince Andrew James Barrett MacNeil and Noirin Morgane, was held February 8th.  The Wizard Thalan was asked to say the nuptials due to his place in the hearts and lives of the royal family.   The place chosen for the wedding was in the enchanted forest of the Sylvan Elves, north of the castle. Andrew is their King being of their royal bloodline and Noirin would become their Queen. They were all there to watch but many of the Elves stayed hidden, others were pinpoints of light moving about freely while some were in full Eleven form.  The Sylvan Elves had created a wonderland with the help of nature.  Blue, silver and white were the colors, the ice covering tree branches, the pure snow untouched except by moonlight.  There was a frozen lake to the right of the area with the enchanted forest surrounding them.  The cold did not reach the bride or groom, or the guests, though snow and ice were cold to the touch.

     The altar was made of solid ice with a deep blue strip of linen trimmed in white Irish lace over it. The candle and chalice were set here as part of the ceremonial props. Soft music played as only the Elves could play, surrounded the guests.  Eleanora saw to the guests as they arrived, directing them to cushioned seats.  The King and Queen of Heathfield, Honeee and Karl were seated in the front left row.  Guests included King Chadrick and his Queen, Danielle, Trevellyn Douglas, and King Peter O'Neill.   Princess Amberlette sat near her sister while the children filled the rows behind.  Henna, Tykir, Rina, Attessa and Sean in the second row. Lydia was held in her mother's arms while Carlton was on his father's lap. Behind the sister castle royals were Vincent, Trevor, Lazare, Myles and Aaric. Dana was away at the time.

     Princess Lah served as maid of honor with Lady Julia de Beauvias as a bridesmaid.    King Leoric and  Regent Gaidan served as Andrew's best men. The rings were of an old Celtic design that signified the eternal circle and devotion of heart, mind and body given to each other with these sacred vows.

     Andrew was resplendent in the MacNeil's tartan and kilt. The broach at his shoulder holding his clan colors signified his status of crown prince. Shirt was of cream silk and boots of a fine tooled leather laced up to below his knees. Blond hair was left loose with even longer twin braids that reached his waist.  Lady Noir wore a gown of white velvet, sprinkled with rhinestones that caused it to sparkle like the moon on frozen snow. A cloak of deep blue trimmed with white fur was draped over her shoulders, falling in a train. The way the skirt of the gown flowed made her seem to float as she walked down the carpet. Her hair, soft and flowing, was uncovered by the hood of the cloak. Instead a veil as delicate as a spider web and sprinkled with the same tiny stones covered her face and hair. In her hands was a bouquet of flowers from the Celtic Gardens. Roses of white and red, intermixed with baby's breath and tiny branches, silver coated with paint and glitter were carried by the bride.

     The ceremony conducted by Thalan was conducted with the dignity only he could hold.  The ceremonial mixing of the blood, the drinking of the wine from the chalice, and the exchanging of rings all combined to make the giving of vows beautiful and poignant.  When the couple was declared man and wife,  flurry of snow circled around the newlyweds, sparkling in the lights, and giving that kiss a mystical quality of  surreal beauty.   Colors became more vibrant. The colorful spheres many of the Fae took on in form were giving a light show out over the lake. Reds, Blues. Greens. Golds. Silvers. The whole spectrum as music filled the air synchronized with the pulsing and bouncing, racing and trailing of lights. As his arms surrounded so also the music and colors to envelope.   Following the greeting of the happy couple by their family and friends, they all returned to Heathfield Castle for a ceremony and opening of gifts.  The next day was spent with the Sylvan Elves for their ceremonies welcoming Noirin as their Queen and to celebrate the marriage.  Following that, the Prince and Princess embarked on their honeymoon.  We wish them well in the years to come. --submitted by Leoric and Gaidan McLarkin

The kingdoms of Heathfield and Ballicastle were well represented at a drinking contest held in the Kingdom of Leoness.  Adrian and Kyle Frasier, and Channing Royce were among the contestants.  Isolde Fiztpatrick observed.  The drinks flowed , the company was merry, and by the end the three Frasier men were weaving their way back to their respective homes felling no pain.   Adrian came in second, winning a weekend at the Four Points inn,  Channing placed third and won a Four Course Meal held at Four Points.   Kyle returned to Heathfield with a smile on his face and a hangover the next day. Congratulations to Adrian and Channing for their wins. - submitted by Kyle Frasier

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Healer's Touch
by Samantha Golden

Angelica - Although angelica has been used in magic and medicine for several thousand years, some scientists have dismissed this herb as medically worthless. They may have been too quick to condemn it, however. Recent research reveals several intriguing benefits and even supports a few of the traditional uses for this long respected herb.

European peasants made angelica leaf necklaces to protect their children from illness and witchcraft. Angelica

was reputed to be the only herb witches never used, and its presence in a woman's garden or cupboard was once used as a defense against charges of witchcraft. The juice from crushed angelica roots was combined with other herbs to make 'Carmelite water,' a medieval drink said to cure headache, promote relaxation and long life, and protect against poisons and witches' spells. In 1665 Europe was decimated by the bubonic plague. Legend has it that a monk dreamed he met an angel who showed him an herb that could cure the scourge. The herb was angelica and the monk so named it in honor of the angel in his dream. The name stuck and angelica water was incorporated into the official English plague remedy - The King's Excellent Plague Recipe.

Healing with Angelica - Contrary to legend, angelica does not deliver humanity from epidemic disease. In fact, most of this herb's traditional uses have not stood up to scientific scrutiny. Contemporary herbalists generally recommend angelica mostly for digestive problems and to help clear mucus, uses that have some validity. Respiratory Ailments - The Doctrine of Signatures scores one. German researchers have discovered that angelic relaxes the windpipe, suggesting that it may have some value in treating colds, flu, bronchitis and asthma, after all. Digestive Aid - The same German investigators found that angelica also relaxes the intestines, lending some credence to its traditional use in treating digestive complaints. Arthritis - Japanese researchers have reported that the herb has anti-inflammatory effects, meaning there may be something to angelica's traditional Asian use as an arthritis treatment. Intriguing Possibilities - Preliminary research reports from China suggest angelica increases red blood cell counts. This means the herb may someday prove beneficial in treating anemia. They also report angelica increases the ability of blood to clot. If they are correct, that's good news for people with clotting impairment. It also means that anyone at risk for heart disease should avoid this herb. Increased blood clotting can lead to decreased blood flow to the heart and in some cases might trigger a heart attack. The Chinese have also found that angelica improves liver function in people suffering from cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis. Their research is preliminary however and no specific recommendations can be made at this time about using the herb for liver problems.

Ways to prepare the herb for relief from colds, flu and bronchitis or as a digestive aid. For an infusion, use 1 tsp of powdered seeds or leaves per cup of boiling water. Steep 10-20 minutes. For a decoction, use 1 tsp of powdered roots per cup of boiling water. Bring to a full boil and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 15 minutes. Drink up to 2 cups a day. Angelica decoctions taste bitter. In a tincture, use 1/2 to 1 tsp up to twice a day. When using commercial extracts, follow package directions. Angelica should not be given to children under age 2. For older children and people over 65 start with low strength preparations and increase strength if necessary.

Fresh angelica roots are poisonous. Drying eliminates the hazard. Herb gardeners should be sure to dry the roots thoroughly before using them. Finally, unless you are a confident field botanist, do not collect angelica in the wild. It's easy to confuse with water hemlock (Cicuta maculata), an extremely poisonous plant. --Taken from The Healing Herbs by Michael Castleman

Life Around Here

Although the snow is still piled and the lake frozen, there is that hint of spring waiting just around the corner. That scent in the air of changes coming, of rebirth in the earth and those upon it. Perhaps it is the last leg of waiting through winter's bite, that was at first quite beautiful, that has many antsy. Cabin fever some call it for being indoors far more than warmer weather permits. The cook outs, swimming and camping soon to replace the ice skating, snowball fight and sledding.

Daffodils, crocus and tulips will soon be peaking up from the ground before the snow is completely gone. Robins returning is a sure indication as we await that red breasted bird. Spring events will soon be planned in celebration. We can count our blessings this year for a winter that was fair and without tragedy. Soon more will be out and about for those that like to socialize. St Patrick's day a time of such celebration whether Irish or not.

There are new faces about to meet as it seemed to come with the changing of seasons. Some known are out and about again. Many to meet for those with cabin fever, the Thistle is always open. Love seems to be blossoming as well with ones meeting others and starting to be around each other more. Many of the shops are holding special for those that like to get out to the commons. All in all it looks like a spring to look forward too, living it now.  --submitted by Keriann Frasier

Births: None this month. Marriages: Andrew James MacNeil to Noiren Morgane.. Engagements: Alexander McDonough to Mary Margaret Murphy.  Deaths: None this Month. Citizenship: Please welcome Michael Saxton who has taken on the position of Graveyard Keeper.

OTHER LIFE FORMS

Merfolk -- As stunningly gorgeous as they are dangerous, merfolk live in loosely structured kingdoms deep in the sea, but occasionally their natural curiosity causes them to come near the shore. Although usually seen at night out on the jetties or even sometimes on the soft sand of the beaches, they have been spotted in daylight, resting on rocky outcroppings. They have been found trapped in tidal pools when the sea changes. Merfolk are at their most helpless out of water. Even though their dual-function lungs can breathe air, their silvery scales dry out with overexposure to the sun. Although merfolk are very beautiful, it is not safe to approach them. Land people and sea people have been at odds since earliest recorded memory. With pollution increasing and more aquatic species hunted to extinction, merfolk are even less likely to consider a land dweller as a potential friend.

Merfolk differ widely in coloration, sharing the distinctive characteristics of fish of their region. Male merfolk, known as mermen, are rare and solitary creatures except during the mating season. They can easily be distinguished from the mermaids by their larger size. As with any culture, merfolk leave behind a significant amount of artifacts that can be found around their habitats. Small piles of discarded shellfish may well be evidence of a merperson coming ashore to dine. Sea people are unused to cooking so there will be no sign of a fire and there may be some sharp object nearby that was use to pry the food open. You may come upon sheets of seaweed drying along the shoreline. Merfolk weave a crud kind of fabric from it, called seaweed cloth, that is used for garments, rope and even baskets.

 Merfolk tools are made from bone, discarded land glass, or the sharp teeth of sharks, but never iron. These tools are often bound at one end with eel skin. You may find shells or pieces of coral with small holes in their necks and sometimes loop along their tails. The evidence for merfolk is especially strong if the shell is not native to your beaches. Merfolk have been known to travel great distances and often lose or discard things along the way. Some merfolk release an inky cloud from a sac located in their tail. They then swim off while the would-be predator is distracted.   -- submitted by Kathleen Frasier - from Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide. Everyone should have one!

March

...beware the Ides of March

With so many of a particular culture, I thought I ought to do a bit of research on the upcoming religious holiday that so many of our citizens observe. It seems that, for at least one day, I have the opportunity to be an honorary Irish girl. Here is what I've found regarding the day of Saint Patrick, and no, he did not banish all the snakes from Ireland as some have come to believe.

St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is one of Christianity's most widely known figures. But for all his celebrity, his life remains somewhat of a mystery.

It is known that St. Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy parents near the end of the fourth century. Although his father was a Christian deacon, it has been suggested that he probably took on the role because of tax incentives and there is no evidence that Patrick came from a particularly religious family. At the age of sixteen, Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family's estate. They transported him to Ireland where he spent six years in captivity. (There is some dispute over where this captivity took place. Although many believe he was taken to live in Mount Slemish in County Antrim, it is more likely that he was held in County Mayo near Killala.) During this time, he worked as a shepherd, outdoors and away from people. Lonely and afraid, he turned to his religion for solace, becoming a devout Christian.

After more than six years as a prisoner, Patrick escaped. According to his writing, a voice-which he believed to be God's-spoke to him in a dream, telling him it was time to leave Ireland. To do so, Patrick walked nearly 200 miles from County Mayo, where it is believed he was held, to the Irish coast. After escaping to Britain, Patrick reported that he experienced a second revelation: an angel in a dream tells him to return to Ireland as a missionary. Soon after, Patrick began religious training, a course of study that lasted more than fifteen years. After his ordination as a priest, he was sent to Ireland with a dual mission: to minister to Christians already living in Ireland and to begin to convert the Irish.

Familiar with the Irish language and culture, Patrick chose to incorporate traditional ritual into his lessons of Christianity instead of attempting to eradicate native Irish beliefs. For instance, he used bonfires to celebrate Easter since the Irish were used to honoring their gods with fire. He also superimposed a sun, a powerful Irish symbol, onto the Christian cross to create what is now called a Celtic cross, so that veneration of the symbol would seem more natural to the Irish. (Although there were a small number of Christians on the island when Patrick arrived, most Irish practiced a nature-based pagan religion.)

He is believed to have died on March 17, around 460 A.D.

The shamrock, which was also called the "seamroy" by the Celts, was a sacred plant in ancient Ireland because it symbolized the rebirth of spring. By the seventeenth century, the shamrock had become a symbol of emerging Irish nationalism. As the English began to seize Irish land and make laws against the use of the Irish language and the practice of Catholicism, many Irish began to wear the shamrock as a symbol of their pride in their heritage and their displeasure with English rule.

After being conquered by the English, and forbidden to speak their own language, the Irish, like other oppressed peoples, turned to music to help them remember important events and hold on to their heritage and history. As it often stirred emotion and helped to galvanize people, music was outlawed by the English. During her reign,Queen Elizabeth I even decreed that all artists and pipers were to be arrested and hanged on the spot.

As previously mentioned, Saint Patrick did not literally banish snakes from Ireland. It was a metaphor for the eradication of pagan ideology from Ireland and the triumph of Christianity. Within two hundred years of Patrick's arrival, Ireland was completely Christianized.

On St. Patrick's Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat are waived and people would dance, drink, and feast—on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage. (taken from the History Channel) -- submitted by Cassie Saxton.

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Harp of Cnoc I'Chosgair
by Gofraidh Fion O Dalaigh. 1385]

Harp of Cnoc I'Chosgair, you who bring sleep
to eyes long sleepless;
sweet subtle, plangent, glad, cooling grave.
Excellent instrument with smooth gentle curve,
trilling under red fingers,
musician that has charmed us,
red, lion-like of full melody.

You who lure the bird from the flock,
you who refresh the mind,
brown spotted one of sweet words,
ardent, wondrous, passionate.
You who heal every wounded warrior,
joy and allurement to women,
familiar guide over the dark blue water,
mystic sweet sounding music.

You who silence every instrument of music,
yourself a sweet plaintive instrument,
dweller among the Race of Conn,
instrument yellow-brown and firm.
The one darling of sages,
restless, smooth, sweet of tune,
crimson star above the Fairy Hills,
breast jewel of High Kings.

Sweet tender flowers, brown harp of Diarmaid,
shape not unloved by hosts, voice of cuckoos in May!
I have not heard music ever such as your frame makes
since the time of the Fairy People,
fair brown many coloured bough,
gentle, powerful, glorious.

Sound of the calm wave on the beach,
pure shadowing tree of pure music,
carousals are drunk in your company,
voice of the swan over shining streams.
Cry of the Fairy Women from the Fairy Hill of Ler,
no melody can match you,
every house is sweet stringed through your guidance,
you the pinnacle of harp music.

--submitted by Sara Devonshire

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On The Wings
by Monica Thomas

--submitted by Cassie Saxton

March: An Ode
by Algernon C. Swinburne

Ere frost-flower and snow-blossom faded and fell, 
       and the splendour of winter had passed out of sight,
The ways of the woodlands were fairer and stranger 
       than dreams that fulfill us in sleep with delight;
The breath of the mouths of the winds had hardened on tree-tops 
       and branches that glittered and swayed
Such wonders and glories of blossom like snow 
       or of frost that outlightens all flowers till it fade
That the sea was not lovelier than here was the land, 
       nor the night than the day, nor the day than the night,
Nor the winter sublimer with storm than the spring: 
       such mirth had the madness and might in thee made,
March, master of winds, bright minstrel and marshal of storms
        that enkindle the season they smite.

--submitted by Orianna Lynn

Spring
by Robert McCracken

Today is the day when bold kites fly,
When cumulus clouds roar across the sky.
When robins return, when children cheer,
When light rain beckons spring to appear.

Today is the day when daffodils bloom,
Which children pick to fill the room,
Today is the day when grasses green,
When leaves burst forth for spring to be seen.

--submitted by Orianna Lynn

Did You Know?

Dawn Song - Unexplained noises and even recognizable musical notes can sometimes be made by striking certain rocks. These natural stone-age percussion instruments ring when struck with a mallet or even with the knuckles. In the Upper Black Eddy area of Pennsylvania, there is an entire field of rocks about a third of which actually ring. Scientists theorized that over many centuries, the interaction of the weather and the geography of the field itself may have altered the structure of certain rocks, allowing these rocks to resonate at easily audible frequencies when they are struck.

But some stones do not have to be struck in order to make sounds. The gigantic Colossi of Memnon are two statues that form the last remnants of a temple that stood between Luxor and the Valley of the Kings in ancient Egypt. The northernmost of the two huge statues began to make curious sounds when it was cracked during an earthquake in 27bc. It began producing an audible, bell-like sound at dawn. People flocked to the site from far and wide, believing the sounds to be the voice of an oracle. The strange sounds stopped when the cracks were repaired in 350ad. Modern commentators suggest that such sounds may have been caused by wind blowing through the cracks. Another theory is that the statues emitted high frequency ultrasound signals that were made audible to humans only by the structural damage resulting from the earthquake. Some Egyptologists have come up with the highly speculative theory that the ancient builders might have incorporated sonic factors into their structures because they were aware of the healing properties of ultrasound.

Ringing noises have been heard at Stonehenge, while at the Rollright stone circle witnesses have reported curious clicking noises emanating from the area of ground around the stones in the middle of the night. When the stones at some of the sites were tested with an ultrasound receiver, seemingly odd effects are reported. Testing the Rollright stone circle found that a three foot band around the middle of the tallest stone of the circle allegedly gave off a signal at dawn that affected an ultrasound receiver. The signal ebbed away later in the day. On the east bank of the Connecticut River is East Haddam, sacred to the Pequot and other Indian tribes of the region. Their name for the site was Machemoodus, which means, there is a bad noise. It is one of the most seismically active places in New England - colonial times it was known as an area of curious sounds, called the Moodus noises. Sounds like guns, drums and rumbling have been heard at the site at times when earthquakes and other forms of seismic upheaval occurred.  -- submitted by Samantha Golden (taken from the book Earth's Mysterious Places, Reader's Digest)

I'd read the query made to you by "Three Shades of Red" in the February edition of "The Heathfield Gazette".  In your reply, you mentioned that you'd hoped a gentleman would write you and weigh in a bit on the subject.  I cannot speak for all men, but I do think that a substantial number of men that feel as I do.

Yes, there is an element of self-gratification for any gentleman who causes a lady to blush with the issuance of a compliment; you were quite correct in your assessment. There is another facet to be considered.  There are few things so lovely as the light that comes to a lady's eyes as a bit of bloom comes to the rose, so to speak.

RECIPES of the MONTH