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Order of Athena

Knighting: In a ceremony that was the first of it's kind Maureen McLoughan and Maeve Ni CasCorach were knighted by Crown Princess Noirin MacNeil.  In attendance to witness the event were Crown Prince Andrew MacNeil and Mikhail MacKay.  During the ceremony the two Knights were each presented with one of the  Swords of Heathfield which was set to their hands by the Princess.  The ceremony also marked the beginning of the Order of Athena, female Knights whose duties include the protection of the Queen, all women of the Court and the children.  As such, they will escort the Queen and those women and children of the court as needed.  They will also stand beside the other Knights of the Realms in times of war.  As Crown Princess, Noirin was named  General of the Order of Athena with  Dame Maureen McLoughan named as  Captain of the Order of Athena and Dame Maeve NiCasCorach as  Commander in the Order of Athena.  The two women will see to the testing and training of those who wish to achieve status as Lady Knights in the Realm of Heathfield.  Our congratulations to Dame Maureen McLoughan and Dame Maeve Ni CasCorach, Knights of the Order of Athena.  We know they will serve well and with honor. --submitted by Crown Princess Noirin MacNeil, General of the Order of Athena

Halloween Party: A night of magic, mystique, and a little madness brought many out for the Halloween Masquerade held at the Thistle Tavern.  Everything from swans to firebirds to dead captains and even a tall mound of fur graced the night with much humor and much dancing.  Crystals handed out in the beginning brought couples together for a dance and even though the men seemed to outnumber the women, the mix up somewhat smoothed out when the hosts took it upon themselves to dance with the men left out; one little fairy even split up the dance between two.  Contests were added into the night, a bit of surprise for those that won:  They will have gifts delivered to them quite soon.  The decision took hours, but in the end the winners were chosen.  For costume, in the women's division;  third place went to a pretty little Angel dressed in white, winner of a grand assortment of cookies donated by Hazel from the Thistle.   Second place was given to a red wrapped firebird that gathered quite a bit of attention, who won a gorgeous clock carved from ivy, donated by Lisette Florals.  And the first place winner?  A beautiful swan that wasn't of white, no, but of black.  She was as graceful as the swan itself and she, too, garnered much attention.  This lady won a beautiful Golden Retriever puppy donated by Eddie McAndrews.

The men were just as difficult to judge as the women.  But the winners were eventually chosen.  Third place went to the spooky, dark and dead horseman that even carried a pumpkin around in his hands to see, winner of a beautifully sculpted candle donated by Kathleen Frasier.  Second place was granted to quite a different version of Attila the Hun, winner of a silver flask filled with Potcheen from Alex at the Thistle.  He had a demon's head?  And first; a man who took the floor in an act that went all night; devouring all of the pretty women in a mass of fur.  Yes, a tall, Mountain of Fur that was slick with some sort of goo that the hosts would rather forget about, winner of a hand crafted ornate dagger from Rhett Shawnesey Jr.

The last contest was one of dancing.  And the winners were as chosen:  Third place went to the couple known that night as the firebird and a dead pirate with a sword, his mask a skull, winners of one bushel of apples from Draven MacShire Orchards and one silver donated by the Crown.  Second was awarded to a dead sea captain and the pretty black swan, the captain winning a large assortment of rich chocolates donated by the Sweet and Sassy6 Candy shop and the lady winning two silver donated by the Crown.

First place was a three way tie, granted to three men who did not quite dance together, but rather than the female hosts who decided they proved themselves worthy of winning First place:  The Mound of Fur, quite graceful on the floor, even if it wasn't all that attractive on the outside (the inside, however, proved quite, quite different!), winner of a silver flask full of potcheen, donated by Alex.  The dead horseman was a wonderful treat on the floor, too; polite as he was graceful. He, too, won a silver flask, full of potcheen, donated by Alex, since both men deferred all monies to the first place winner:  Patch; a tall giant of a patchwork creation kept a certain gypsy entertained and full of laughter. The night eventually wound itself down and out, but the memories, for a few, will last for years.  --submitted by Gaelle Thorpe

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Healer's Touch
by Samantha Golden

Chamomile - In the Tale of Peter Rabbit, Peter eats himself sick in Mr McGregor's garden, then gets chased out at the wrong end of the angry man's hoe. When he gets home, his mother gives him chamomile tea. Peter's mother was a wise herbalist. chamomile is one of the best herbs for indigestion. It also soothes jangled nerves. Perhaps Peter's mother also feared his ordeal would give him an ulcer. Chamomile may help prevent and heal them. Or perhaps Mr McGregor's hoe grazed Peter's tender bunny skin. A chamomile compress can help heal many wounds.

Herb of the Sun: Actually chamomile is not one herb, but two -- German (or Hungarian) chamomile and Roman (or English) chamomile. The two plants are botanically unrelated, but they both produce the same light blue oil used in healing since ancient times. Chamomile's daisylike flowers reminded the ancient Egyptians of the sun. They used it to treat fever, particularly the recurring fevers of malaria. The Greek physician Dioscorides and the Roman naturalist Pliny recommended chamomile to treat headaches and kidney, liver, and bladder problems. India's ancient Ayurvedic physicians used it similarly. Germans have used chamomile since the dawn of history for digestive upsets and as a menstruation promoter and treatment for menstrual cramps. English herbalist Nicholas Culpeper rocommended chamomile for fevers, digestive problems, aches, pains, jaundice, kidney stones, 'dropsy' (congestive heart failure) and to bring down women's courses. British and German immigration introduced both chamomiles into North America, though most of the chamomile grown today is the German variety. America's Eclectic physicians recommended chamomile poultices to speed wound healing and prevent gangrene. They prescribed infusions for digestive problems, malaria, typhus, menstrual cramps, menstruation promotion, and for all birth related difficulties: to quiet the fetal kicking, stop premature labor, relieve sore breasts and nipples, suppress milk production and relieve infant colic. Today it is one of the best selling herbs. It's a favorite tea, by itself or blends. Its apple aroma is the fragrance in may herbal skin care products. It has been used in shampoos since the days of the Vikings because it adds luster to blond hair. Contemporary herbalists recommend chamomile externally to spur wound healing, and treat inflammation, and internally for fever, digestive upset, anxiety and insomnia.

Healing with Chamomile:
Digestive Aid: Dozens of studies have supported chamomile's traditional use of a digestive aid. Several chemicals (primarily bisabolol) in chamomile oil appear to have relaxing action on the smooth muscle lining of the digestive tract (making it an anti-spasmodic). In fact, one study shows chamomile relaxes the digestive tract as well as opium-based drug papaverine.

Ulcers: Chamomile may also prevent stomach ulcers and speed their healing. In one experiment, two groups of animals were fed a chemical known to cause ulcers. Those also given chamomile developed significant fewer. Then the animals who developed ulcers ere divided into two groups. Those fed chamomile recovered more quickly.

Women's Health: Antispasmodics relax not only the digestive tract but other smooth muscles, such as the uterus, as well. Chamomile's antispasmodic properties support its age old use to soothe menstrual cramps and to lessen the possibility of premature labor. Oddly enough, chamomile was also used to stimulate menstruation. The apparent contradiction remains unresolved, but European researchers have isolated a substance in chamomile that stimulates uterine contractions. Women should feel free to try chamomile both to soothe menstrual cramps and to promote the onset of menstruation, but pregnant women should stay clear of medicinal amounts.

Tranquilizer: Chamomile's long history as a tranquilizer also has a scientific basis according to researchers who showed that the herb depresses the central nervous system. Try an infusion when you feel anxious, or add a handful of chamomile flowers to a hot bath.
Arthritis: In animal studies, the herb successfully relieves arthritic join inflammation. Animal findings don't necessarily apply to people, but chamomile has been used traditionally to treat arthritis. Try it and see if it works for you.

Infection Prevention: The Eclectic physicians of America were on the right track using chamomile compresses to prevent wound infection. Some studies show chamomile oil applied to the skin reduces the time it takes burns to heal. Other studies show the herb kills the yeast fungi (Candida albicans) that cause vaginal infections, as well as certain bacteria (Staphylococcus). Chamomile also impairs the replication of polio virus. For cuts, scrapes, or burns, brew a strong infusion, cool it and apply in compresses.

Immune Stimulant: No one knew why chamomile prevented infections until British researchers discovered that the herb stimulated the immune system's infection fighting white blood cells (macrophages and B-lymphocytes). Drink some when you have a cold or the flu. It does no harm, and it just might help.

The Safety Factor: Chamomile poses no health hazard. The only people who should think twice about using this herb (and its close relative yarrow) are those who have suffered previous anaphylactic reactions from ragweed. For otherwise healthy nonpregnant, nonnursing adults, chamomile is safe in amounts typically recommended. It should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor.   -- Excerpts Taken from The Healing Herbs by Michael Castleman

Community News

Barrett Memorial Zoological Gardens: Peacocks: A familiar sight wandering around the Zoo are colorful birds known as peacocks.  These wonderful birds have been around for many years and are the topic for this month. Peacocks (Pavo cristatus) are members of the pheasant family. The word peacock actually refers to the male bird, while females are peahens, and the young are peachicks. A group of these together is referred to as a bevy. While the peacock is a wild bird by nature, they have been domesticated in many countries.  These grand birds like peace and harmony. Surprisingly, these birds can be found in zoos across the country, wandering about freely at several of them. While these birds seem to have a low stress level when contained on a farm, they seem to deal better with stress if they have more room, as they do when they are able to wander about at these zoos. .Peacocks are large, colorful pheasants (typically blue and green) known for their iridescent tails. These tail feathers, or coverts, spread out in a distinctive train that is more than 60 percent of the bird’s total body length and boast colorful "eye" markings of blue, gold, red, and other hues. The large train is used in mating rituals and courtship displays. It can be arched into a magnificent fan that reaches across the bird's back and touches the ground on either side. Females are believed to choose their mates according to the size, color, and quality of these outrageous feather trains.

Suitable males may gather harems of several females, each of which will lay three to five eggs. In fact, wild peafowl often roost in forest trees and gather in groups called parties. Peacocks are ground-feeders that eat insects, plants, and small creatures. There are two familiar peacock species. The blue peacock lives in India and Sri Lanka, while the green peacock is found in Java and Myanmar (Burma). A more distinct and little-known species, the Congo peacock, inhabits African rain forests. Peafowl such as the blue peacock have been admired by humans and kept as pets for thousands of years. Selective breeding has created some unusual color combinations, but wild birds are themselves bursting with vibrant hues. They can be testy and do not mix well with other domestic birds. --submitted by Kaylea MacKay

Falkirk Downs Update: McDale Stables has been registered as well more racing horses added in the interim. As time proved, the grand opening has been delayed but should run this coming month. An exact date yet to be determined. The grounds, stands and buildings are all ready at this point but we await a few more horses for the Barrett Royal stables to make up for those not able to be race due to pregnancy. We will be based on bartering and coins, prizes for bartering will be determined with an upcoming flyer. Coin distribution will remain the same according to the amount bet and the placement of the winning horses. Stables will receive monies according to the placement of their horses each given race. Over time, outstanding race horses will be given bonuses.
--submitted by Patrick Frasier, proprietor of Falkirk Downs.

Barrett Royal Stables -- The Barrett Royal Stables of Heathfield now has occupants.   Five horses were purchased from Justin McDale of Faolan Towers.  They are: Altair, a 3 year old Arabian stallion, four fillies, Justified Silver, a 3 year old Arabian, Roxanne, a 4 year Arabian, Morgan, a four year old Arabian, and Shaya, a 3 year old Arabian.   Roxanne and Morgan will be foaling next spring.  They were joined recently by another filly, Little Lady, a  2 year old thoroughbred who will be available for any citizen to ride in the races at the Frasier racetrack.

We also have other occupants.  RW Blackbird, 3 years and Lace and Legacy, 3 years, both thoroughbreds owned by Sir Gabriel Vaughn, Cream-n-Sugar a 3 year old thoroughbred owned by Lady Brigid MacKinlay who is staying at the Manor.  Ala'al Din, a 3 year old Arabian stallion, Golden Lady, and Cloud Dancer, both year old Arabian fillies owned by Chandra Byrne.  My own personal horses are Dusky Princess, a three year old Arabian filly given to me by the crown and Windchaser, a 2 year old given to me by Chandra Byrne who is my aunt and is now living at the manor. 

Thanks to Sir Gabriel, we have another stable ready for horses and are hoping to have two additional stables built in the spring so that in time, the Royal Barrett Stables will once more have the same number of horses as in the time of King Andrew.   Please feel free to come and visit and see these magnificent horses. --submitted by Melantha Quinn

Births:  none this month. Marriages: none this month. Engagements: none this month   Deaths: None this Month. Citizenship: Please welcome Gaelle Thorpe and Pyper Ilurraim as well Captain Lorcan O'Domhnaill and his partners Mack, Dorian Tremaine, Solitaire DeCosta, his sister: Marsail O'Domhnaill, friends and family: Gawain Fawkes, Bull, Lindsay Murray, Bethany Addison, Avalon Connell, Danny Fawkes and Mary Scarlet Ruiz.

Osiris, Egyptian God of the Dead and Underworld

One of the Kings of Egypt, Osiris is known as the initial and primary god of the Dead and the Underworld in Egyptian mythos. As King of the Underworld, he is often portrayed showing the symbols of Kingship - the pointed crown, the crook and the flail and a crozier.

He ruled unchallenged until Set, another god, murdered him and distributed his body in sections to the Nile, where Set hoped a crocodile would render any efforts to retrieve Osiris' form moot. Alas for Set, the wife of Osiris - Isis, another goddess, one of life and fertility - learned of the murder and collected all but one of the parts to resurrect him. It is further speculated that because one of the parts was missing, Osiris combined his resurrection with taking on another host-form, that of Horus, believed to be the son of Osiris and Isis, recreating the god as one of death and rebirth, celebrated at harvest and sowing times.

In addition to appearing as a human male, Osiris is also depicted as a centipede, cherished along the Nile valley as a protector of the dead and a promoter of fertility, as centipedes consume insects and beetles, who consume decaying organic material. In addition, since centipedes move through the earth, like worms, they fostered fertility of the soil.

Osiris is believed to be the father of three gods in the Egyptian pantheon - Babi, the devourer of unworthy souls, Anubis, the jackal-headed god of death, and Horus, with whom Osiris is later to believed to have merged, god of life and the sun. His legend is well known through the world, both western and eastern, and has been incorporated into other religions and hellenic traditions. (Taken from: http://www.egyptiandreams.co.uk/osiris.php)

November

November is the eleventh  and penultimate month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with the length of 30 days. November begins in western tropical astrology with the sun in the sign of Scorpio (astrology) and ends in the sign of Sagittarius (astrology).  Astronomically speaking, the sun actually begins in the constellation of Libra, passes through Scorpius from approximately the 24th through the 29th and ends in the constellation of Ophiuchus, which is the only zodiacal constellation that is not associated with an astrological sign.   In Latin, novem means "nine". November was also the ninth month in the Roman calendar until a monthless winter period was divided between January and February.  In old Japanese calendar, the month is called Shimo tsuki (霜月).  As part of the seasonal calendar November is the time of the 'Snow Moon' according to Pagan beliefs and the period described as the 'Moon of the Falling Leaves' by Black Elk. (from http://www.egreenway.com/months/monnov.htm)

Samhain marks one of the two great doorways of the Celtic year, for the Celts divided the year into two seasons: the light and the dark, at Beltane on May 1st and Samhain on November 1st. Some believe that Samhain was the more important festival, marking the beginning of a whole new cycle, just as the Celtic day began at night. For it was understood that in dark silence comes whisperings of new beginnings, the stirring of the seed below the ground. Whereas Beltane welcomes in the summer with joyous celebrations at dawn, the most magically potent time of this festival is November Eve, the night of October 31st, known today of course, as Halloween.

Samhain (Scots Gaelic: Samhuinn) literally means “summer's end.” In Scotland and Ireland, Halloween is known as Oíche Shamhna, while in Wales it is Nos Calan Gaeaf, the eve of the winter's calend, or first. With the rise of Christianity, Samhain was changed to Hallowmas, or All Saints' Day, to commemorate the souls of the blessed dead who had been canonized that year, so the night before became popularly known as Halloween, All Hallows Eve, or Hollantide. November 2^nd became All Souls Day, when prayers were to be offered to the souls of all who the departed and those who were waiting in Purgatory for entry into Heaven. Throughout the centuries, pagan and Christian beliefs intertwine in a gallimaufry of celebrations from Oct 31st through November 5^th, all of which appear both to challenge the ascendancy of the dark and to revel in its mystery.

In the country year, Samhain marked the first day of winter, when the herders led the cattle and sheep down from their summer hillside pastures to the shelter of stable and byre. The hay that would feed them during the winter must be stored in sturdy thatched ricks, tied down securely against storms. Those destined for the table were slaughtered, after being ritually devoted to the gods in pagan times. All the harvest must be gathered in -- barley, oats, wheat, turnips, and apples -- for come November, the faeries would blast every growing plant with their breath, blighting any nuts and berries remaining on the hedgerows. Peat and wood for winter fires were stacked high by the hearth. It was a joyous time of family reunion, when all members of the household worked together baking, salting meat, and making preserves for the winter feasts to come. The endless horizons of summer gave way to a warm, dim and often smoky room; the symphony of summer sounds was replaced by a counterpoint of voices, young and old, human and animal.

In early Ireland, people gathered at the ritual centers of the tribes, for Samhain was the principal calendar feast of the year.   The greatest assembly was the 'Feast of Tara,' focusing on the royal seat of the High King as the heart of the sacred land, the point of conception for the new year. In every household throughout the country, hearth-fires were extinguished. All waited for the Druids to light the new fire of the year -- not at Tara, but at Tlachtga, a hill twelve miles to the north-west. It marked the burial-place of Tlachtga, daughter of the great druid Mogh Ruith, who may once have been a goddess in her own right in a former age. At at all the turning points of the Celtic year, the gods drew near to Earth at Samhain, so many sacrifices and gifts were offered up in thanksgiving for the harvest. Personal prayers in the form of objects symbolizing the wishes of supplicants or ailments to be healed were cast into the fire,  and at the end of the ceremonies, brands were lit from the great fire of Tara to re-kindle all the home fires of the tribe, as at Beltane. As they received the flame that marked this time of beginnings, people surely felt a sense of the kindling of new dreams, projects and hopes for the year to come.

The Samhain fires continued to blaze down the centuries. Young people and servants lit brands from the fire and ran around the fields and hedges of house and farm, while community leaders surrounded parish boundaries with a magic circle of light. Afterwards, ashes from the fires were sprinkled over the fields to protect them during the winter months -- and of course, they also improved the soil. The bonfire provided an island of light within the oncoming tide of winter darkness, keeping away cold, discomfort, and evil spirits long before electricity illumined our nights. When the last flame sank down, it was time to run as fast as you could for home, raising the cry, “The black sow without a tail take the hindmost! (from http://www.chalicecentre.net/samhain.htm) --submitted by Mary Colleen McAndrews

Happy Thanksgiving!

An Autumn Chant
by Karen Bergquist

"I will dance
The dance of dying days
And sleeping life.

I will dance
In cold, dead leaves
A bending, whirling human flame.

I will dance
As the Horned God rides
Across the skies.

I will dance
To the music of His hounds
Running, baying in chorus.

I will dance
With the ghosts of those
Gone before.

I will dance
Between the sleep of life
And the dream of death.

I will dance
On Samhain's dusky eye,
I will dance."

--submitted by Kaylea MacKay

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All in a Word
by Aileen Fisher

T for time to be together, turkey, talk, and tangy weather.
H for harvest stored away, home, and hearth, and holiday.
A for autumn's frosty art, and abundance in the heart.
N for neighbors, and November, nice things, new things to remember.
K for kitchen, kettles' croon, kith and kin expected soon.
S for sizzles, sights, and sounds, and something special that abounds.
That spells ~~~THANKS---for joy in living and a jolly good Thanksgiving.

--submitted by Deirdre Callihan

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Autumn
by Carol L. Riser

"When the trees their summer splendor
Change to raiment red and gold,
When the summer moon turns mellow,
And the nights are getting cold;
When the squirrels hide their acorns,
And the woodchucks disappear;
Then we know that it is autumn,
Loveliest season of the year."

--submitted by Brigid MacKinlay

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Old Fashioned Thanksgiving
by Edgar Albert Guest

It may be I am getting old and like too much to dwell
Upon the days of bygone years, the days I loved so well;
But thinking of them now I wish somehow that I could know
A simple old Thanksgiving Day, like those of long ago,
When all the family gathered round a table richly spread,
With little Jamie at the foot and grandpa at the head,
The youngest of us all to greet the oldest with a smile,
With mother running in and out and laughing all the while.

It may be I'm old-fashioned, but it seems to me to-day
We're too much bent on having fun to take the time to pray;
Each little family grows up with fashions of its own;
It lives within a world itself and wants to be alone.
It has its special pleasures, its circle, too, of friends;
There are no get-together days; each one his journey wends,
Pursuing what he likes the best in his particular way,
Letting the others do the same upon Thanksgiving Day.

I like the olden way the best, when relatives were glad
To meet the way they used to do when I was but a lad;
The old home was a rendezvous for all our kith and kin,
And whether living far or near they all came trooping in
With shouts of "Hello, daddy!" as they fairly stormed the place
And made a rush for mother, who would stop to wipe her face
Upon her gingham apron before she kissed them all,
Hugging them proudly to her breast, the grownups and the small.

Then laughter rang throughout the home, and, Oh, the jokes they told;
From Boston, Frank brought new ones, but father sprang the old;
All afternoon we chatted, telling what we hoped to do,
The struggles we were making and the hardships we'd gone through;
We gathered round the fireside. How fast the hours would fly--
It seemed before we'd settled down 'twas time to say good-bye.
Those were the glad Thanksgivings, the old-time families knew
When relatives could still be friends and every heart was true.

--submitted by Brigid MacKinlay

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Leaves
by Elsie N. Brady

--submitted by Deirdre Callihan

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"November's sky is chill and drear,
November's leaf is red and sear."
-   Sir Walter Scott

Did You Know?

Spirit Lines Continued...

The Shamanic Tradition: The Indians in North America had a strong tradition of shamanic awareness. Over 12,000 years ago, these people migrated from central Asia, one of the heartlands of shamanism. They brought shamanic traditions with them, and these traditions survived, at least until the Europeans arrived. In a research paper published, anthropologist Marlene Dobkin de Rios suggested that American landscape lines might have been created by tribal peoples under the direction of their shamans. Shamans, in some cases, are known to have taken a variety of plant hallucinogens as part of their religious rituals. Some of the drugs reportedly induced a sensation of flight, and Dobkin de Rios has suggested that the American landscape lines have been associated with an 'aerial journey' experienced by a shaman while in a trance. It is interesting to note that some of the designs in the landscape can only be fully appreciated from the air.

Flying Shamans: Dobkin de Rios has also suggested that these lines might have been associated with the American effigy mounds that were created hundreds of years ago by the Hopewell, Adena, and Mississippian peoples. The fact that many of these effigy mounds depict birds and winged humans, which so often symbolized shamanism, gives some support to this theory. Eagle feathers, especially when attached to sticks, were also a symbol of magical flight. Some Mississippian pottery is decorated with a variety of human-bird figures that were believed to represent the flying shaman. The apparent age of such imagery is underscored by a 25,0000 year old Paleolithic cave painting at Lascaux, France. This painting portrays an apparently entranced man wearing an ancient bird-mask. Near him is a short stick supporting a bird's head, which was a symbol of trance in Siberia up until recent centuries. Many other cultures show evidence of shamanic bird imagery. The Hopewell Indian shaman hung bird claw shapes cut out of mica on his ceremonial robes. Chinese Taoist priest were commonly know as 'feather scholars,' probably denoting their shamanic origins; and geese figure prominently in Eskimo tales of magical flight. Throughout Ireland, Celtic Druidism was also associated with magical flight. In one Irish legend, The Siege of Druim Damhghaire, the Druid Mog Ruith is described as wearing an enchennach (bird dress) and rising into the air. Clearly, bird symbolism was often associated with spirit flight throughout the ancient world.

The Flying Buck: Southern African San (Bushman) rock art often depicts magical flight in the form of a figure known to archeologists as the 'flying buck.' Essentially an antelope with its legs raised, the flying buck is usually shown with long lines trailing behind it. Recent research, confirmed by the San themselves, suggests that this image relates to the shamanic out-of-body experience they undergo when trance dancing. As American mythologist Joseph Campbell says, the flying buck represents 'the releases souls of the trance dancers as well as the souls of the dead.' In trance, the souls of the dancers fly forth and about.' Even modern Western societies retain cultural images of this shamanic magical flight: Father Christmas flying in his reindeer-drawn sleigh through the magic midwinter night sky may derive from the ancient shamanic practices of Arctic Europe and Siberia, where he tribes people were reindeer herders.

The Enlightened Ones: The theory that the mysterious landscape lines relate to the travels of spirits has been supported by studies of the Kogi Indians of northern Columbia. These people have remained isolated from the European influx into South America and their culture may be the last to reflect accurately the civilization that existed before Columbus arrived in 1492. The Kogi are ruled by shaman-priests called Mamas, or Enlightened Ones, who profess to be able to see the spirit world, which they call aluna, even as they see the physical world. The Kogi also have mysterious pathways that crisscross their territory, linking ancient towns.

Shamanic Landscapes: The feeling of flying in a straight line across the landscape's is common to the shamans of many different traditional cultures around the world. It may be a function of the human brain in a trance state, brought on by drumming, dancing, fasting, or hallucinatory drugs. But even if shamanic flight is a hallucinatory effect, ancient peoples believed in its reality. It seems likely that this belief has left its imprint as various forms of straight lines on what might be described as shamanic landscapes around the world. -- submitted by Samantha Golden (taken from the book Earth's Mysterious Places, Reader's Digest)

RECIPES of the MONTH