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Over time rapport has been established with Laird Justin McDale of Faolan Towers through various knights of the lands as well our ambassador Joseph McDonough. He is one that participated in the joust circuits and various events including the races. Friendships were formed that gravitated into establishing friendly relations, both parties agreeing such a treaty to be mutually beneficial. Although his lands are not the size of some others we've had such a treaty with, it is not size that matters. He is a family man with deep love of horses in particular. Recently the purchase was made with him in buying the race horses for the Barrett Royal Stables being set up in honor of the Queen's deceased father, Andrew Barrett. His stables being chosen over others for the careful breeding and training of his equines of which he had ones for sale. In time, there were be more added from our own McDonough sables when he has such horses specifically bred for racing for sale. Faolan Towers history is not unlike our own, years of trials and eventual triumph in setting things back to where they had been, restoration enjoyed for a year and growing with clansmen returning home to pick up their lives again. --submitted by Joseph McDonough, Ambassador to the Crown of Heathfield

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Healer's Touch
by Samantha Golden

Catnip - Enjoy it with Kitty. You don't have to be an herbalist to know this plant's effect on cats. But here's a case where one species' intoxicant in another's calmer. In people, catnip may help soothe the digestive tract. It may also help relieve menstrual cramps and soothe the nerves, and it might provide handy first aid for gardeners. From Europe to China it has been used medicinally for at least 2,000 years. In teas, its pleasant, lemon-minty vapors were considered a cold and cough remedy, relieving chest congestion and loosening phlegm. Old herbalists praised its ability to promote sweating, a traditional treatment for fever.

Catnip also has a long history of use as a tranquilizer, sedative, digestive aid, menstruation promoter and treatment for menstrual cramps, flatulence and infant colic. Parents use to give a weak catnip tea to colicky infants and even hang a small bag of the herb around their necks so they could inhale its soothing vapors. Equal parts of catnip and saffron were once recommended for smallpox and scarlet fever. The leaves were also chewed to relieve toothache, and as crazy as this sounds today, smoked to treat bronchitis and asthma. It was a popular beverage tea in pre-Elizabethan England. During the age of Exploration it was replaced by the more stimulating Chinese herb we call tea.

Hangman's Root: Colonists introduced catnip into North America. It quickly went wild and now grows across the continent. The Indians adopted the herb and used it as the whites did, for indigestion and infant colic as well a beverage. Early American's also believed catnip roots made even the kindest person mean. Hangmen use to consume the roots before executions to get in the right mood for their work. Contemporary herbalists continue to have great faith in catnip.

Healing with Catnip:

Digestive Aid: Like the other mints, catnip may soothe the smooth muscles of the digestive tract (making it an antispasmodic). Have a cup of catnip tea after meals if you're prone to indigestion or heartburn. Women's Health: Antispasmodics calm no only the digestive tract but other smooth muscles as well -- the uterus, for example. Catnip's antispasmodic effect supports its traditional use for relieving menstrual cramps. Tranquilizer: German researchers report the chemicals (nepetalactone isomers) responsible for cats' intoxication are similar to the natural sedatives (valeportriates) in valerian. This finding supports catnip's traditional use as a mild tranquilizer and sedative. Try a cup of tea when you feel tense or before bed and see if it works for you. Infection Prevention: Catnip also has some antibiotic properties which lends credence to its traditional use in some cases of diarrhea and fever. As an antibiotic, catnip is not particularly powerful, but it may help prevent infection after garden mishaps.

Rx for Catnip: Enjoy a pleasant, minty infusion of catnip as a digestive aid, as a mild tranquilizer or to soothe menstrual cramps. For an infusion, use 2 teaspoons of dried herb per cup of boiling water. Steep 10 to 20 minutes. Do not boil catnip; boiling dissipates its healing oil. Drink up to 3 cups a day. If you prefer a tincture, take 1/2 to 1 teaspoon up to three times a day. Weak, cool catnip infusions may be given cautiously to colicky infants. For older children and people over 65, start with low strength preparations and increase strength if necessary. To treat minor garden mishaps, press some crushed catnip leaves into cuts and scrapes on your way to washing and bandaging them.

The Safety Factor: Catnip is considered nontoxic, but some people may experience upset stomach. It is listed as an herb of undefined safety, but no significant toxic reactions have ever been reported. For otherwise healthy nonpregnant, nonnursing adults, catnip is considered safe in amounts recommended. Catnip should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor.

Catnip is a gray-green aromatic perennial that grows to 3 feet and bears all the hallmarks of the mint family: a square stem, fuzzy leaves and twin-lipped flowers. Catnip grows easily from seeds or root divisions in almost any well drained soil under full sun or partial shade. Some growers say keeping soil on the dry side produces more aromatic plants. Thin seedlings to 18 inch spacings. Harvest the leaves and flower tops in late summer when the plants are in bloom. Dry and store in opaque, tightly sealed containers to preserve the volatile oil.  -- Excerpts Taken from The Healing Herbs by Michael Castleman

Community News

Barrett Memorial Zoological Gardens: Beginning this month, introductions to the animals already obtained, or hoped for will begin.  I'm Kaylea MacKay, assistant Zoo Keeper in charge of the Aviary, smaller animals and the Petting Zoo. One of our first acquisitions is a tamed camel named Clyde.  He was won by Amory Randall last year and has been waiting for a new home. Clyde will be available for free rides during regular zoo hours. 

Camels: The dromedary, one-humped or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the Bactrian camel has two humps. They are native to the dry desert areas of western Asia and central and east Asia, respectively.
     The average life expectancy of a camel is forty to fifty years. The term camel is also used more broadly to describe any of the six camel like creatures in the family Camelidae: the two true camels, and the four South American camelids, the Llama, alpaca, guanaco, and vicuna.
     A fully-grown adult camel stands 6 ft 1 in at the shoulder and 7 ft 1 in at the hump. The hump rises about thirty inches out of its body. Camels can run up to 40 mph in short bursts and sustain speeds of up to 25 mph.
     Camels do not store water in their humps as is commonly believed; the humps are actually reservoir of fatty tissue. When this tissue is metabolized, it acts as a source of energy, and would yield more than 1 gallon of water for each 1 gallon of fat converted through reaction with oxygen from air. This process of fat metabolization generates a net loss of water through respiration for the oxygen required to convert the fat.
     Their ability to withstand long periods without water is due to a series of physiological adaptations. Their red blood cells have an oval shape, unlike those of other mammal,  which are circular. This is to facilitate their flow in a dehydrated state. These cells are also more stable in order to withstand high osmotic variation without rupturing when drinking large amounts of water 26 gallons) to 40 gallons) in one drink)
     Camels are able to withstand changes in body temperature and water content that would kill most other animals. Their temperature ranges from 34 °C (93 °F) at night up to 41 °C (106 °F) during the day, and only above this threshold will they begin to sweat. The upper body temperature range is often not reached during the day in milder climatic conditions, and therefore, the camel may not sweat at all during the day. Evaporation of their sweat takes place at the skin level, not at the surface of their coat, thereby being very efficient at cooling the body compared to the amount of water lost through sweating. This ability to fluctuate body temperature and the efficiency of their sweating allows them to preserve about five litres of water a day.
     A feature of their nostrils is that a large amount of water vapor in their exhalations is trapped and returned to their body fluids, thereby reducing the amount of water lost through respiration.
     They can withstand at least 20-25% weight loss due to sweating (most mammals can only withstand about 3-4% dehydration before cardiac failure results from the thickened blood).A camel's blood remains hydrated, even though the body fluids are lost, until this 25% limit is reached.
     Camels eating green herbage can ingest sufficient moisture in milder conditions to maintain their bodies' hydrated state without the need for drinking.
     A camel's thick coat reflects sunlight. A shorn camel has to sweat 50% more to avoid overheating. It also insulates them from the intense heat that radiates from the desert sand. Their long legs help by keeping them further from the hot ground. Camels have been known to swim.
     Their mouth is very sturdy, able to chew thorny desert plants. Long eyelashes and ear hairs, together with sealable nostrils, form a barrier against sand. Their gait and their widened feet help them move without sinking into the sand.
   The kidneys and intestines of a camel are very efficient at retaining water. Urine comes out as a thick syrup, and their feces are so dry that they can fuel fires
     The camel is the only animal to have replaced the wheel (mainly in North Africa) where the wheel had already been established.

Falkirk Downs: I am Patrick Frasier of the Fraisers of Falkirk Manor, located on Ballicastle lands. We built and 8 shaped tracks with buildings and stands in the middle about six years ago. One side, mostly used is the tract for horses, the other with the hopes to implement dog racing in time. The plan that has taken root, is to completely renovate the tracks, stands, buildings and stables to house both horses and dogs separately. These renovations are underway and we hope to be open by October to run a few races. before the winter becomes too severe. Although if the tracks are in good condition and kept cleared, we can continue the races throughout the winter months if desired. There will be between four to five races one night a month. The first three to four races will be of horses registered from local stables such as McDonough Stables headed by Rory McDonough. Golden Dawn headed by Diane Cleary, the new Barrett Royal Stables being set up as well a few individuals that have smaller stables. One race will be open to the citizens of the lands to race upon their own steeds against other citizens. A day a month will be chosen as a standing time for these races. It is hoped that by the next Gazette, we will have all details and our grand re-opening announcement.

Barrett Royal Stables --   Before the time of Rath, the Royal Stables was renown for the beautiful horses that it housed.  They had been chosen for the beauty of their gait, appearance and for their bloodlines.  When the dark times of the Tyrant began, the Stable Master was Jaxon Quinn. Fearing for his family, he sent his wife and two small sons north while he stayed behind and sent his charges into the wild.   Free, they would never know the cruelty of the Tyrant or his soldiers.   Badly wounded following a skirmish with several men who were sent to take the horses, Jaxon made his way to where his wife and children waited.   They made their way to Ireland.   Though both Jaxon and Ceyln hoped to return to Heathfield, they never saw their beloved homeland again. The Barrett Royal Stables, named in honor of King Andrew, will once again house the Royal horses.   Five, one stallion and four mares,  have been purchased from Laird Justin McDale of  Faolan Towers, Scotland.  Once work on the restoration of the stables is complete, they will be housed there.  For now, these beautiful animals are housed at the stables at Joe McDonough. --submitted by Melantha Quinn

Births:  none this month. Marriages: none this month. Engagements: King Leoric Ivar McLarkin of Kildare and Rosalind Antonia Clarendon of Heathfield   Deaths: None this Month. Citizenship: Please welcome Angel Wolfe and Neesie.

Anubis - Anubis is often represented as the image of a human man with a jackal's head. Though the meaning of his name is murky, there is no question of his place in the Egyptian pantheon. He is known as the son of Osiris, though this may not be necessarily true, considering Anubis was known as the Lord of the Dead even before Osiris came to be known as a God. The deep black color Anubis's animal is not reflective of its actual coat but is instead symbolic of his position as a funerary deity. The reason for Anubis's animal being canid is based on what the ancient Egyptians themselves observed of the creature -- dogs and jackals often haunted the edges of the desert, especially the cemeteries where the dead were buried.

Anubis is an extremely ancient deity. The oldest mastabas of the Old Kingdom have prayers to him carved into their walls, and he is mentioned in the Pyramid Texts in his most celebrated role as a guardian and protector of the dead. A standard offering formula for the dead in the Old Kingdom began thusly:

"An offering which the king gives and Anubis, who is upon his mountain and in the place of embalming, the lord of the necropolis...."

As mentioned previously, Anubis began in the position that Osiris would later command. In the earliest period of Egyptian religion Anubis was clearly the lord of the dead and Osiris the embalmed god while Anubis performed the act of embalming. Titles that were invested unto Osiris -- such as Khenty-Imentiu or "Foremost of Westerners" -- were originally Anubis's. As the drama of Osiris's death and vindication unfolded over the centuries, Anubis assumed the role of the guide who holds steady the scales on which their hearts are measured against the feather of ma'at as "He Who Counts the Hearts". Should the heart be light as the feather, the soul would then be lead by Anubis (or, in some cases, Harseisis) to be presented to Osiris. Should the heart be heavy, it is fed to Ammit and the soul destroyed.

As Imy-ut, or "He Who is In the Place of Embalming", Anubis is the embalmer who washes the entrails of the dead and guards over their physical bodies as well as the places that house them (the tomb and the necropolis). Priests wearing a mask of Anubis were responsible for the Opening of the Mouth ceremony that reawakened a dead person's senses. In a reflection of the royal seal used on the tombs of the Valley of the Kings depicting pharaoh's victory over the "nine bows" (enemies of Egypt), Anubis is shown recumbent over nine bows meant to be hostile forces of the Underworld who he -- as "Jackal Ruler of the Bows" -- has triumphed over.

Anubis's parentage is a mystery -- in one tradition he is the son of Nebt-het (Nephthys) and Ra. In yet another, from the Coffin Text period, the cow goddess Hesat is his mother and, from the same source, Bastet is even accounted as his mother (most likely a pun on the ointment jars that comprise her hieroglyphs -- the same jars that were used during the embalming process Anubis was lord of). The Pyramid Texts even supply Anubis with a daughter in the form of the goddess Qeb-hwt ("Cooling Water") -- a celestial serpent or ostrich Who purifies and quenches the monarch.

The name of Anubis in hieroglyphs

September

September is the ninth month of the year  in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with 30 days.In Latin, septem means "seven" and septimus means "seventh"; September was in fact the seventh month of the Roman calendar until 153 BC, when there was a calendar reform from the month of the Ides of March to the Kalends, or January 1.  September marks the beginning of the ecclesiastical year in the Eastern Orthodox Church.  September begins on the same day of the week as December every year, because there are 91 days separating September and December, which is a multiple of seven (the amount of days in the week).

To many ancient people, the waning of the light signaled death.  For example, in Welsh mythology, this is the day of the year when the God of Darkness, Goronwy, defeats the God of Light, Llew, and takes his place as King of the world.  To this day in Japan, the equinox is celebrated by visits to the graves of family members, at which time offerings of flowers and food are made and incense is burned.  The three days preceding and following the equinox are called "higan," or the "Other side of the River of Death." -  September Folklore

"Smoke hangs like haze over harvested fields,
The gold of stubble, the brown of turned earth
And you walk under the red light of fall
The scent of fallen apples, the dust of threshed grain
The sharp, gentle chill of fall.
Here as we move into the shadows of autumn
The night that brings the morning of spring
Come to us, Lord of Harvest
Teach us to be thankful for the gifts you bring us ..."
-  Autumn Equinox Ritual

"The Druids call this celebration, Mea'n Fo'mhair, and honor the Green Man, the God of the Forest, by offering libations to trees.  Offerings of ciders, wines, herbs and fertilizer are appropriate at this time....  Mabon is considered a time of the Mysteries. It is a time to honor Aging Deities and the Spirit World...."  - Mabon by Akasha

Mabon, September 23

Mabon marks the Second Harvest, the end of the grain harvest (which begun at Lughnasadh), and rests on the Autumn Equinox. The Equinox mirrors dwindling of life (and eventual progression to rebirth), as well as the struggle for balance; day and night are equal for a single day. The pagans of antiquity didn't have the ability to determine astrological positions as we do today. The European peasantry, therefore, celebrated this Sabbat on September 25th; actually, the Celts marked their days from sundown to sundown, so the Mabon celebration actually started on the sundown of our September 24th. Today, with the help of our technology, we can calculate the exact day of the Equinox; the date when the sun enters the sign of Libra, the Balanced Scales, which appropriately fits the Equinox. September 25th is a medieval holiday which the Church Christianized under the label of "Michaelmas," a feast in honor of the Archangel Michael. It is thought that the Roman Catholic Church at some point considered assigning the quarter dates to the four Archangels, since they had assigned the cross quarters to the four gospel-writers. Making the Vernel Equinox a holiday called "Gabrielmas" was taken into consideration in honor of the angel Gabriel's announcement to Mary on Lady Day. This Sabbat can also be known as: the Second Harvest Festival, Feast of Avalon, Cornucopia, Wine Harvest, the Fall Equinox, Harvest Home, the Autumnal (or Autumn) Equinox, Festival of Dionysus, Alban Elfed (Caledonii, Druidic), Winter Finding (Teutonic), or Equinozio di Autunno (Strega). The full moon closest to the Autumn Equinox is called the Harvest Moon, and farmers would harvest their corps by this moonlight as part of the Second Harvest celebration.

Mabon is very much like Thanksgiving. Most of the crops have been reaped and abundance is more noticeable than ever! Mabon is the time when we reap the fruits of our labor and lessons, both crops and experiences. It is a time of joy, to celebrate that which is passing (for why should we mourn the beauty of the year or dwindling sunlight?), looking joyously at the experience the year has shared with us. And it is a time to gaze into the bright future. We are reminded once again of the cyclic universe; endings are merely new beginnings. Since it is the time of dying sun, effort is also made to celebrate the dead with joyous remembrance. It is considered taboo to pass a burial site and not honor the dead. Natural energies are aligned towards protection, wealth, prosperity, security, and boosting self-confidence. Any spells or rituals centered around balance and harmony are appropriate.

The tale of Mabon ap Modron, the Welsh God, (the "great son of the great mother"), also known as the Son of Light, the Young Son, or Divine Youth, is celebrated. The Equinox is also the birth of Mabon, from his mother Modron, the Guardian of the Outerworld, the Healer, the Protector, the Earth. Mabon was taken after he is a mere three nights old (some variations of the legend say he is taken after three years). Through the wisdom of the living animals -- the Stag, Blackbird, Owl, Eagle and Salmon -- Mabon is freed from his mysterious captivity. All the while Mabon had rested within his mother's womb; a place of nurturing and challenge. With strength and lessons gained within the magickal Outerworld (Modron's womb), Mabon is soon reborn as his mother's Champion, the Son of Light, wielding the strength and wisdom acquired during his captivity. Also, (from a variation in legend) the Equinox is the day of the year when the god of light, Lugh, is defeated by the god of darkness, Lugh's twin and alter-ego, Tanist. The night conquers day. The tales state that the Equinox is the only day which Lugh is vulnerable and the possibility of his defeat exists. Lugh stands on the balance (Autumn Equinox-Libra) with one foot on the goat (Winter Solstice-Capricorn) and the other on the cauldron (Summer Solstice-Cancer). He is betrayed by Blodeuwedd, the Virgin (Virgo) and transformed into an Eagle (Scorpio).

Two events occur rapidly with Lugh's defeat. Tanist, having beaten Lugh, now takes over Lugh's place both as King of our world and lover to the Goddess Tailltiu. Although Tanist now sits on Lugh's throne, his official induction does not take place for another six weeks at Samhain, the beginning of Winter, when he becomes the Dark King, the Winter Lord, the Lord of Misrule. He mates with Tailltiu, who conceives, and will give birth nine months later (at the Summer Solstice) to her son, another incarnation of Tanist himself, the Dark Child. Lugh's sacrifice represents not only the sun's dying power, but also the cycle of rebirth, his energy remaining within the corn we have since harvested. A incarnate (of Lugh) corn spirit was thought to specifically reside within the last stalk (or stock), which was traditionally dressed in fine clothes and decorations, or woven into a wicker man-shaped form. This symbolic decoration was then harvested and carried from the field to be burned with rejoicing for the spirits release and Lugh's upcoming rebirth. - from http://www.egreenway.com/months/monsep.htm  --submitted by Mary Colleen McAndrews

September
by Helen Hunt Jackson

"The golden-rod is yellow;
The corn is turning brown;
The trees in apple orchards
With fruit are bending down.

The gentian's bluest fringes
Are curling in the sun;
In dusty pods the milkweed
Its hidden silk has spun.

The sedges flaunt their harvest,
In every meadow nook;
And asters by the brook-side
Make asters in the brook,

From dewy lanes at morning
The grapes' sweet odors rise;
At noon the roads all flutter
With yellow butterflies.

 By all these lovely tokens
 September days are here,
 With summer's best of weather,
 And autumn's best of cheer.

 But none of all this beauty
 Which floods the earth and air
 Is unto me the secret
 Which makes September fair.

Tis a thing which I remember;
To name it thrills me yet:
One day of one September
I never can forget."

--submitted by Carisa McCormick

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Under Her Dark Veil
by Anna Akhmatova

Under her dark veil she wrung her hands.
"Why are you so pale today?"
"Because I made him drink of stinging grief
Until he got drunk on it.
How can I forget? He staggered out,
His mouth twisted in agony.
I ran down not touching the bannister

And caught up with him at the gate.
I cried: 'A joke!
That's all it was. If you leave, I'll die.'
He smiled calmly and grimly
And told me: 'Don't stand here in the wind.' "

--submitted by Morgan Murray

September
by John Updike

The breezes taste
Of apple peel.
The air is full
Of smells to feel-
Ripe fruit, old footballs,
Burning brush,
New books, erasers,
Chalk, and such.
The bee, his hive,
Well-honeyed hum,
And Mother cuts
Chrysanthemums.
Like plates washed clean
With suds, the days
Are polished with
A morning haze.

--submitted by Corina Turlough

September
by Ted Hughes

We sit late, watching the dark slowly unfold:
No clock counts this.
When kisses are repeated and the arms hold
There is no telling where time is.

It is midsummer: the leaves hang big and still:
Behind the eye a star,
Under the silk of the wrist a sea, tell
Time is nowhere.

We stand; leaves have not timed the summer.
No clock now needs
Tell we have only what we remember:
Minutes uproaring with our heads

Like an unfortunate King's and his Queen's
When the senseless mob rules;
And quietly the trees casting their crowns
Into the pools

--submitted by Deirdre Callihan

September
by William Wordsworth

Departing summer hath assumed
An aspect tenderly illumed,
The gentlest look of spring;
That calls from yonder leafy shade
Unfaded, yet prepared to fade,
A timely carolling.

--submitted by Gabriel Vaughn

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Did You Know?

Land of the Dreaming Continued

Jukuita Cave: At Ngama, 70 miles north of Winbaraku, a large cave known as Jukuita sheltered Jarapiri on his Dreaming Journey north to Maningrida on the coast of Arnhem Land. Ngama itself is a haven for Maletji, the mythical dog-people and law-men. In midwinter the tribesmen of the region performed a special type of ceremony here to ensure a plentiful supply of the wild dogs that are used in hunting. Aboriginal lore tells that at the time of the Dreaming, Jarapiri was discovered wriggling under loose sand on the floor of the cave by the Maletji. They dragged the Great Snake clear of teh shelter and he curled up and went to sleep. The First People from Winbaraku met Jarapiri there and decided to perform a secret ceremony. But first they laid the Great Snake's image on the wall in the form of a painting that can be seen at the site today. On a large tableau of rock underneath an overhang Jarapiri has been brightly painted in pipeclay and red ocher, surrounded by iconic images of all the First People who had accompanied him on his mythical world-creating journeys. After the ceremony Jarapiri slept with one of the Maletji dog-women; his semen is depicted as white stain on the surface of the rock. A permanent supply of water in the outcrop signifies the fertile nature of Ngama, both as a drinking source for men and animals, as well a place of inspiration for ritualized empathy with nature itself. Another aspect of the Aboriginal faith in spiritual embodiment takes the form of ritual enactment. It is a part of traditional Aboriginal belief that if a man decorates his body with the appropriate designs, he is able to mimic the actions of a specific Sky Hero. The brightly colored body of the Great Snake Jarapiri, for example, may be recreated using eagle down, blood, charcoal, ocher and pipeclay. When a man is decorated in this way and singing the traditional Aboriginal songs, he is no longer himself. The act of imitation transforms him into his totemic alter ego. The man becomes a lizard, a snake, a kangaroo, or eve the Great Snake Jarapiri himself. Through the mythic image, the man has taken on the persona of the sacred land from which he too was born.

Earth Wisdom: Stories such as those of Jarapiri's travels are repeated throughout the whole of Australia. Before contact with the Europeans, the entire continent was considered a network of sacred places, all permeated with djang. The different myths, songs, dances and ceremonies that were associated with each place were known to a select group of fully initiated individuals. These were occasionally shared with visitors at ritually appropriate times. Thus a spiritual fraternity existed throughout the whole of the land whose task was to celebrate its sacred nature. In turn, the land made its presence felt as a living symbol of mythical power. People and land became united by a unique and enduring bond. What they had evolved together was a body of 'earth wisdom' that could be applied at times of natural of tribal crisis. For the Aborigines, the Dreaming was therefore ever-present, a supreme reality governing the lives of humans, animals, and the entire natural world. -- submitted by Samantha Golden (taken from the book Earth's Mysterious Places, Reader's Digest)

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