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Finally the much awaited season has arrived and one can tell by all of those outside. Sun is bright, breeze is warm, crocus blooming along with the daffodils. The Fountain in the Square had officially been turned on as one of the awaited signs of pushing winter out the door for good. Talks of carnivals, balls and socials have been buzzing about the lands. Land being tilled and planted. The first Robins spotted a few weeks ago and now the other summer birds are following. Geese circling lakes to find the perfect spot can be hard honking at various times of the day. Today, on the first of April, many pranks will be pulled on one another in good humor. Early morning finds the warriors, king's men and horsemen out on the practice field without shirts, a noticeable gathering of women become more common to watch that are allowed passes to this private field. The fields near the Spar Hall have also drawn their attention along with young boys and men that wish to aspire as guards or knights. The gathering of debris is a common sight to be burned in piles under a watchful eye, leaving the green grass beneath with air to breathe. This is the season of rebirth and nurturing for growth. New faces and old ones not seen for a while have surfaced to greet one and all.

Stargazer night at Devonshires. A trivia and stein contest in honor of St. Patrick's Day was held in Devonshires at the Stargazer Inn.  Edward McAndrews and his brother, Joseph were in attendance with Eddie being a judge of the steins.  Also attending was Keriann Fraiser, Michael Saxton and Rayen.  The trivia questions were about Ireland such as:   What does "Cead Mile Failte" mean, and What is colcannon?  The answers being a thousand welcomes, and potatoes and cabbage.   The stein contest involved several magnificent beer steins.   The one entered by Joe McAndrews was of silver and gold with black metal inlay. A griffon perched on top with wings up while four griffon heads with rings in their mouth decorated the sides.  Joe received third place.  All in all, it was a night of much laughter, a good night to greet old friends and make new ones.

Ravenwood Carnival event: March 10th found several of the McAndrews brothers participating or watching a few events involving cherries at the Ravenshire's Spring Carnivale. Eddie took part in the cherry pit spitting, which involved eating a cherry and spitting the pit at one another.  Going against 7 others, he lasted almost the entire game, taking aim at many a lovely lass's rear.  Following that came Pass the Cherry, using only lips, with four of the brothers taking part:  Liam, Joe, Eddie and Michael. Plenty of laughter ensued, especially when brother had to pass a cherry to brother. Liam was out in round one.  Eddie got a little skittish when he had to take a cherry from Joe and dropped it.  Joe's turn, the lass in line dropped hers, so he was force to pass the cherry to Michael.  Michael then had to pass it to Tarro, the Minotaur.  The mino was so shocked at having to face a male, that he tried to suck the cherry in without touching and failed. After the next failed, Michael and Joe had a face-off.  Michael dropped his cherry, leaving Joe the Cherry passing champ.

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Healer's Touch
by Samantha Golden

Anise - The licorice flavored cough remedy. Anise sends down a long taproot. But its roots in the history of herbal healing are equally deep. Since the time of the pharaohs, the aromatic seed (actually fruits) of this small plant have had many uses. Its alluring fragrance made it one of the world's earliest perfumes and smelling salts. Ancient Greeks used it to prevent seizures. Today the popular herb is best known as a popular spice. And its rich taste of licorice is used to make candy. In fact, most licorice candies contain no licorice. They are flavored with anise. Its taste can also be detected in many commercially made cough syrups and lozenges. For 

some its flavor is even intoxicating. The Greeks, for example, are known to love their anise-based ouzo, the French their pastis. But anise's greatest potential in not found in the candy jar or liquor cabinet. It's found in the medicine chest.

Hippocrates, the father of medicine, recommended the herb to clear mucus from the respiratory system. His contemporary, Theophrastus had a more romantic use for the herb. He wrote that anise, when kept by one's bed at night, brought sweet dreams with its sweet aroma. The Roman naturalist chewing fresh anise seed as a breath freshener and digestive aid after big meals. Early English herbalist John Gerard suggested anise for hicket (hiccups). It is also been prescribed as a milk promoter for nursing mothers and as a treatment for water retention, headache, asthma, bronchitis, insomnia, nausea, lice, infant colic, cholera. and even cancer.

Women's Health: Anise also contains chemicals (dianethole and photoanethole) similar to the female sex hormone estrogen. Scientists suggest their presence probably accounts for the herb's traditional use as a milk promoter in nursing mothers. Anise has only mild estrogenic activity but it may help to relieve menopausal discomforts. Many herbalists recommend anise during pregnancy to treat morning sickness. The herb has never been associated with birth defects or miscarriage but the medical consensus is that pregnant women should stay clear of all drugs including medical doses of herbs.

Men's Health: Female sex hormones similar to estrogen are used to treat some case of prostrate cancer. Of course by itself anise cannot treat this disease, but men taking hormone therapy for prostrate cancer should discuss anise's mild estrogenic action with their physician. Taking the herb in addition to standard medication can't hurt and it might help.

Cautions: Estrogen and even herbs such as anise that have mild estrogenic activity may conceivably cause harm. Estrogen is an ingredient in birth control pills, so women whose physician advises her not to use the Pill should consult her doctor about anise's estrogenic activity before using medicinal quantities of the herb. Estrogen may contribute to migraine headaches and abnormal blood clotting and promote the development of certain types of breast tumors. The herb is generally regarded as safe although high doses of anise oil on the order of several teaspoons may cause nausea and vomiting. It should only be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor. Anise and star anise should not be confused with Japanese anise (illicium landeolatum) which is poisonous.  --Taken from The Healing Herbs by Michael Castleman

Life Around Here

I would like to begin this article by thanking everyone who has made me feel so welcome in the relatively short time since I've arrived in Heathfield.  From the generosity of the monarchy to the cordiality of it's citizen's this is the most hospitable, most charitable, and most inviting locale that I've ever had the pleasure of visiting, and I've been to a great many places.

My original purpose for coming to Heathfield was to look up my dear, sweet cousin, Cassandry Rose Saxton.  Shortly after being reunited with her, I found that I had yet another relative in Heathfield, Cassie's younger sister, Jessamine.  For those of you that do not know Jessamine, she is the lighthouse keeper.  For those of you who do know her, you have my deepest, most sincere condolences.  All right, I really didn't mean that; I just wanted to see if it would make it into print.  With the consideration and assistance of Draven and Gerrard MacShire, I was able to assume the position of caretaker of the Heathfield Graveyard.  Truth be told, the MacShires warned me that the graveyard manor was haunted, but I did not believe them.  As it turned out, I should have, as there are at least four ghosts that actively haunt the manor.  I would be most remiss at this point if I did not thank Malcolm Douglas and Abigail Frasier for their invaluable assistance in identifying the spirits by name and age.  Out of respect for the dead, I shall refrain from divulging any personal information about the spirits at least until after they have been set to rest peacefully in the hereafter.

In closing I would like to include an aside to Mattie and Pearl.  It was the sculptress. --submitted by Michael Saxton

Births: A daughter, Ciara Rose, was born on March 25th to Danny and Shiloh Frasier. Marriages: None this month. Engagements: None this month.  Deaths: None this Month. Citizenship: Please welcome Rosalind Lancaster who has opened up the Silver Rose Shop, offering items made from precious metals and stones.

Easter has deep roots in the mythic past. Long before it was imported into the Christian tradition, the Spring festival honored the goddess Eostre or Eastre. The name is pronounced Easter. She was the ancient Anglo Saxon goddess of the dawn and the Vernal Equinox. Her name venerates the sun rising in the east. Easter Sunday sunrise services continue the sun-worship aspect of the holiday. The equinox is when the days begin growing into the long sunlight that will be Summer. This increase of daylight makes crops possible, hence the theme of fertility.

The annual event in honor of Eastre celebrated new life and renewal. The superstition about wearing new clothes came later, but echoed the commemoration of the new. Eastre is in the lineage of Ishtar, the Babylonian goddess of love and fertility. Other names for this archetype include Inanna, Aphrodite, Diana, Isis, Venus, Astarte, Demeter, Esther, and Freya. Freya is specifically honored on Good Friday, the day named for her.

The Easter Bunny is a continuation of the reverence shown during the spring rites to the rabbit as a symbol of abundance. The honoring of such emblems of fertility extended to eggs. The egg serves as a representation of new life. It stands for the renewing power of nature and, by extension, agriculture. The egg can also symbolize regeneration in a spiritual or psychological sense. The ritual of coloring Easter eggs stems from the tradition of painting eggs in bright colors to represent the sunlight of spring.

Hot cross buns have long been associated with Good Friday and Easter. They were originally cakes for the Queen of Heaven. The markings indicating the four phases of the moon. The crescent moon is a goddess emblem. It is sometimes seen as the horns of a bull or ox. The word bun is derives from the classical Greek for ox.

OTHER LIFE FORMS

Nixies -- Guardians of freshwater pools and streams, nixies (also called naiads and nixes) are bound to the body of water in which they dwell. They are not commonly spotted alone and can be identified by the liquid continuously streaming from their hair and clothes as well as the greenish sheen of their skin. Nixies are amphibious and unlike mermaids, they have legs rather than a tail.

Nixies love music and dancing. Look for instruments made from reeds, especially pipes, near the banks of streams. Unlike their merfolk cousins, they are very curious about land dwellers. They are bound to their body of water and much like treefolk may only venture a little way from their trees, can only venture a short distance from their pools. Therefore they rely

on other faeries to bring them information. Occasionally nixies will lure a human into their pools, but they are usually more interested in company than in drowning their visitor. Like some merfolk, nixies have hair that is, in fact, external gill filaments that take in oxygen from the water as they swim. They have no fingernails or hair to speak of and their skin has a beautiful opalescent sheen to it much like the soft underbelly of a frog. Nixies have a translucent nictitating membrane that functions as a third eyelid and protects the eye while underwater. -- submitted by Kathleen Frasier - from Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide. Everyone should have one!

April

April 1st - April Fool's Day

The derivation of the name (Latin Aprilis) is uncertain. The traditional etymology from the Latin aperire, "to open," in allusion to its being the season when trees and flowers begin to "open," is supported by comparison with the modern Greek use of ἁνοιξις (opening) for spring. Since most of the Roman months were named in honor of divinities, and as April was sacred to Venus, the Festum Veneris et Fortunae Virilis being held on the first day, it has been suggested that Aprilis was originally her month Aphrilis, from her Greek name Aphrodite (Aphros), or from the Etruscan name Apru. The Anglo-Saxons called April Oster-monath or Eostur-monath, the period sacred to Eostre or Ostara, the pagan Saxon goddess of spring, from whose name is derived the modern Easter. St George's day is the twenty-third of the month; and St Mark's Eve, with its superstition that the ghosts of those who are doomed to die within the year will be seen to pass into the church, falls on the twenty-fourth. (taken from Wikipedia)

On a more church-oriented note, we find that the death and believed resurrection of Jesus the Christ is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox (20 March). Some Christians observe the entire Holy Week before Easter Sunday. Palm Sunday recalls Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem one week before his execution. Holy Monday is remembered as the day Jesus cleansed the temple by throwing out the traders and vendors. Holy Tuesday is when Jesus described the destruction of Jerusalem. Holy Wednesday (once called Spy Wednesday) recalls the day that Judas decided to betray Jesus for 30 silver pieces. Maundy Thursday holds the Last Supper in rememberance, in addition to Jesus' arrest. Maudy is derived from the Latin "mandatum", the commandment of God (Gospel of John 13:34-35). Some cultures have authorities wash their followers' feet in commemoration of this day. Good Friday honors the execution by crucifiction of Jesus Christ. Some believe that it is named 'good Friday' because of the good that His sacrifice would provide humanity with. Holy Saturday pinpoints the last day of the Lenten Fast as well as the last day of the Holy Week. Many Christians baptize with water their new followers on this day. And of course, Easter Sunday is the day which followers believe was Christ's resurrection from the grave. This was formally recognized by the Coucil of Nicea in 325 AD.

And how can we neglect the pagan symbols that shadow the Christian's holy holiday, or visa versa? This same timeframe is honored by many as a fertility celebration. At the feast of Eostre, the Saxon fertility and spring goddess, for example,  an ox was sacrificed. The ox's horns became a symbol for the feast. They were carved into the ritual bread. Thus originated "hot cross buns". The word "buns" is derived from the Saxon word "boun" which means "sacred ox." Later, the symbol of a symmetrical cross was used to decorate the buns; the cross represented the moon, the heavenly body associated with the goddess, and its four quarters. Many will also celebrate spring by holding a sunrise service, commemorating the moment in the year when the daylight is to exceed the length of nighttime. Many times, as Christians light candles in memory of their own God, pagans will light candles or bonfires to welcome the return of the sun god. (religious references paraphrased from www.religioustolerance.org) --submitted by Cassie and Jessamine Saxton

Lines Written in Early Spring
by William Wordsworth

I heard a thousand blended notes,
While in a grove I sate reclined,
In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts
Bring sad thoughts to the mind.

To her fair works did Nature link
The human soul that through me ran;
And much it grieved my heart to think
What man has made of man.

Through primrose tufts, in that green bower,
The periwinkle trailed its wreaths;
And ’tis my faith that every flower
Enjoys the air it breathes.

The birds around me hopped and played,
Their thoughts I cannot measure:--
But the least motion which they made
It seemed a thrill of pleasure.

The budding twigs spread out their fan,
To catch the breezy air;
And I must think, do all I can,
That there was pleasure there.

If this belief from heaven be sent,
If such be Nature’s holy plan,
Have I not reason to lament
What man has made of man?

--submitted by Sara Devonshire

April
by Robert Frost

The sun was warm but the wind was chill.
You know how it is with an April day.
When the sun is out and the wind is still,
You're one month on in the middle of May.
But if you so much as dare to speak,
a cloud come over the sunlit arch,
And wind comes off a frozen peak,
And you're two months back in the middle of March.

--submitted by Tara Shawnesey

Spring
by Song, from Act V, Scene 2 of Love’s Labors Lost by William Shakespeare

When daisies pied, and violets blue,
  And lady-smocks all silver-white,
And cuckoo-buds of yellow hue
  Do paint the meadows with delight,
The cuckoo then, on every tree,
Mocks married men, for thus sings he:
      “Cuckoo!
Cuckoo, cuckoo!” O word of fear,
Unpleasing to a married ear.

When shepherds pipe on oaten straws,
  And merry larks are ploughmen’s clocks,
When turtles tread, and rooks, and daws,
  And maidens bleach their summer smocks,
The cuckoo then, on every tree,
Mocks married men, for thus sings he:
      “Cuckoo!
Cuckoo, cuckoo!” O word of fear,
Unpleasing to a married ear.

--submitted by Cassie Saxton

It was a Lover and his Lass
by William Shakespeare

IT was a lover and his lass,
   With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
That o'er the green corn-field did pass,
   In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring.

Between the acres of the rye,
   With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
These pretty country folks would lie,
   In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring.

This carol they began that hour,
   With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
How that life was but a flower
   In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring.

And, therefore, take the present time
   With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
For love is crown`d with the prime
In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring.

--submitted by Sarah McDonough

April Rain
by Mathilde Blind

The April rain, the April rain,
Comes slanting down in fitful showers,
Then from the furrow shoots the grain,
And banks are fledged with nestling flowers;
And in grey shawl and woodland bowers
The cuckoo through the April rain
Calls once again.

--submitted by Kia Monahan

A Light Exists in Spring
by Emily Dickinson

A light exists in spring
Not present on the year
At any other period.
When March is scarcely here

A color stands abroad
On solitary hills
That silence cannot overtake,
But human nature feels.

It waits upon the lawn;
It shows the furthest tree
Upon the furthest slope we know;
It almost speaks to me.

Then, as horizons step,
Or noons report away,
Without the formula of sound,
It passes, and we stay:

A quality of loss
Affecting our content,
As trade had suddenly encroached
Upon a sacrament.

--submitted by Cassie Saxton

Did You Know?

Dowsing - In recent decades, dowsers have been working at many prehistoric sites around the world. In the process they have directed archeologists to a number of significant finds and opened a whole new chapter of earth mysteries. Many dowsers claim to be able to sense and map strange energy lines and grids that surround and even link prehistoric sites. Yet impossible for two reasons. Conventional science does not accept the validity of dowsing nor does it believe in the existence of bizarre energies in the earth. Since Roman times, dowsing has provided clues to the existence and location of water hidden beneath the earth's surface. Roman dowsers used a twisted loop of willow, known as lituus, as a dowsing rod. Throughout the centuries, dowsing has also been used to search for various metal ores and oil hidden beneath the ground.

It is easy enough to test the accuracy of a metal or water dower simply by digging at the precise spot the dowser indicates. Prediction of the existence of water or minerals under the earth has none of the vagueness of a prediction concerning supposed presence of energy lines. In fact, many professional water-finders are so confident of their skill that they are even willing to work on a "no water, no pay" basis. Dowsers began to explore ancient sacred sites. They mapped clusterings of what they called 'water lines', which they believed were underground streams. Dowsers in other countries found similar water lines at other ancient sites. It has even been suggested that the whole layout of those ancient monuments is based on subterranean water.

However, many dowsers claim to find more than water at prehistoric sacred sites. They claim to be able to detect and map lines of energy lying not only between individual stones at a site but even between entire sites. The idea that grids or networks of energy encircle the globe is an extension of this energy-line theory. Despite all the confusion, however, there is little doubt that the dowsers believe they are getting a reaction that indicates something at these sites. Results of scientific test would seem to bear out their beliefs. Some of the energies sensed at the stones appear to register as measurable physical forces on specialized scientific equipment. Why dowsers are able to respond to so many different types of earth energies is also a mystery. A number of intensive studies have been conducted by various scientists in an effort to understand more about dowsing.

It has been suggested that dowsers exhibit an exaggerated sensitivity to tiny changes in natural radiation and ionization and magnetic electrostatic fields. But when response was tested it varied from one energy dowser to another and was rarely consistent. Physiologically the dowser has a very strong, almost uncontrollable physical response that is similar to the knee-jerk reflex. But the dowser's response would appear to involve both body and mind and dowsers themselves often claim that any energy, physical or psychic can affect this response. The dowsing response appears to be most effective at discovering precise changes and weakest at recognizing slow changes.

Almost the only consistent feature of dowsers at work is a characteristic EEG (electroencephalograph) or brain wave pattern. Dowsers produce more of the brain waves associated with meditation or deep sleep. This may indicate that they are in touch with their environment on a deeper, subconscious level. Dowsing is sometimes claimed to be a way of relearning the kind of intuitive awareness of the landscape that animals appear to have. Dowsers have shown that something special is occurring at ancient sites, though just what that is, and whether ancient peoples were consciously aware of it, remain to be discovered.   -- submitted by Samantha Golden (taken from the book Earth's Mysterious Places, Reader's Digest)

I've always been an opinionated person. Now, the great editors of the Gazette have given me a spot to rant or praise whatever I please or answer questions if they are given to me. I hope they don't regret this decision since my friends and loved ones have told me before that I am sort of a big mouthed whirlwind ( and there isn't anything wrong with it! ). I suppose I'll start off the new column by asking a question and hoping that I'll figure out an answer. How do the crones see everything? They know about every kiss, and very fight. Do they even see people dress and undress? If so, cover up carefully men, they are coming after you. I hope the crones are reading this, and I hope I get a response next month. Until then, Zei Gesund.

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