#locust beans

[fertilitylens]

Locust Beans for Fertility: A Natural Boon for Couples trying to conceive

A 2022 study shows that Locust Beans may be able to reduce sperm abnormalities and improve sperm quality, thanks to zinc and antioxidant content [1] What are locust beans African locust beans, also known as Iru, Ogiri, or Dawa Dawa, are the fermented seeds of the Parkia biglobosa tree. They are a common ingredient in West African cuisine and are used to add flavor and umami to soups, stews, and…

[hija-ck]

𝙸𝚝'𝚜 𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚜𝚊𝚌𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚎

𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸’𝚍 𝚍𝚘 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚜𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚗𝚎𝚡𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚎

𝙻𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚜 𝚖𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚊 𝚐𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚎 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚖𝚢 𝚎𝚢𝚎𝚜

𝙱𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚍𝚢 𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚎

𝙻𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚛𝚢 𝚙𝚒𝚎, 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚋𝚎 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚎?

i have been having Thoughts 🔪🩸

[samraiyaoi]

hey. don’t cry, locust bean gum ok?

[morethansalad]

Beyond Possible Burger (Homemade Vegan Burger)

Recipe is in German btw

[hapalopus]

This is the first time I've ever seen British and American English listed as separate languages

It's also the first time I've seen Danish and Swedish properly separated. As we should be

[keeps-ache]

ooo lightheaded rn. it's like having a fever but. not so bad :)

[fouryearsofshades]

hi! do you have any information on how hanfu were traditionally washed and stored? thank you :)

First, sorry that it has been so long. Then, sorry that it is a short answer. Hope it is alright.

Expensive clothes were not washed. In the old days they used a lot of plant dyes and those things discoloured when they came in contact with water. Modern plant dyes are slightly better due to the fixative used in dying but the colour still faded with every wash. Hence, people in the old days used to wear layers to avoid dirtied their fancy clothes with sweat.

Clothes can be scented with something called 熏笼/Xūnlóng (lit. "smoke cage").

It is usually made from bamboo, but rich people could have them made from porcelain, like this one from the Three Kingdoms period.

A book on incense from the Song dynasty, 洪氏香谱/Hóng shì xiāngpǔ (Hong's Book of Fragrance), recorded the method of scenting clothes: first placed a bowl of hot water to moisturize the clothes, then smoke the clothes with incense.

Sometimes clothes could be washed separately.

护领/Hùlǐng (lit. "Collar protector". They are usually white in colour) were often detachable so people only needed to wash that instead of the whole clothes. It could also be made from paper.

Those type of embroidered/painted collars from Song dynasty were attached separately, so it was possible that they were removed while the body of the clothes were washed separately.

People usually washed clothes in water with the aid of a 捣衣杵/dǎoyī chǔ or 洗衣杵/xǐyī chǔ 搓衣板/cuō yī bǎn wash stick and/or a washboard.

The earliest type of of soap recorded being used was 草木灰/cǎomù huī (wood ash). Other plant based soaps were also used, such as 皂荚/zàojiá (Gleditsia sinensis, black locust), 无患子/wúhuànzi (Sapindus saponaria, soapberries), 茶箍/chágū（the dregs from pressing oil from camellia seeds plus hay) etc.

There were also records of potassium soap. Those soaps however were usually in liquid form and often used in fabric manufacture [我国古代的洗涤剂].

猪胰子/Zhū yízi Pig pancreas was also used. 白国斌/Bái Guóbīn (in 2021) wrote how they made pig pancreas soap when he was young - pasted the pig pancreas, then dried and powdered it. Later mix with alkaline water and made into ball to air dry.

澡豆/Zǎodòu was made from the combination of powdered pig pancreas, bean powder and other herbs. There are many recipes, such as a recipe by 孙思邈/Sūn Sīmiǎo from Tang dynasty includes 16 materials. They were also known as 胰子/Yízi.

Aromatic herbs and other xiang (fragrant things) could also be added into the water in the end to add pleasant fragrance to the clothes, such as a book in Ming dynasty《多能鄙事》/Duō néng bǐ shì ("I can do a lot of humble things") by 刘基/Liú jī recorded: Tree Peony Bark 31.25g and Spikenard 3.125g, powdered.

[miyrumiyru]

♕ 왕팔랑나비 (Lobocla bifasciata) : Skippers Family (Hesperiidae)

This cute caterpillar is crop and fasten leaves with their threads to make their soild and cozy home.

Their host plants are bean family, like Kudzu, Locust trees... (that's why their heads are look like a red bean)

They overwintering as larvae and pupae until next shiny summer is coming, and then...

They become fluffy noble skippers! ❤️

Caterpillar observation by onidiras on iNaturalist (CC BY-NC)

[ad-caelestia]

common toxic plants

[long post]

this is not a complete list by any means, but these commonly noted plants, herbs, and flowers should be handled with care or avoided altogether. 

aconite (wolfsbane, monkshood) - all parts: dermatoxic, hepatotoxic, and neurotoxic

adam and eve (jack-in-the-pulpit, wild arum) - root: dermatoxic and gastrotoxic if ingested

african sumac - leaves: dermatoxic; possibly fatal

agave - juice: dermatoxic  

angel’s trumpet - all parts: cardiotoxic; often fatal

apple - seeds: cytotoxic in large doses

apricot - leaves and seeds: cytotoxic in large doses

arnica - gastrotoxic 

asparagus - berries: dermatoxic and gastrotoxic if ingested

azalea - all parts: cytotoxic and neurotoxic; rarely fatal

betel nut palm (pinyang) - all parts: gastrotoxic if ingested

bittersweet nightshade - all parts: neurotoxic and gastrotoxic; rarely fatal

black hellebore - all parts: cardiotoxic and gastrotoxic; possibly fatal

black locust (false acacia) - root bark and flowers: gastrotoxic

black nightshade - all parts except ripe fruit: neurotoxic and gastrotoxic; possibly fatal

bleeding heart - leaves and roots: neurotoxic

bloodroot - rhizomes: cytotoxic

blue passion flower (common passion flower) - leaves: cytotoxic

bracken - all parts: carcinogenic

buttercup - all parts: gastrotoxic and dermatoxic 

calabar bean (ordeal beans) - seeds: neurotoxic and gastrotoxic if ingested in large doses

cassava - leaves and roots: cytotoxic in large doses

castor bean (castor oil plant) - seeds: cytotoxic if ingested or inhaled

celandine - nephrotoxic 

cherry - leaves and seeds: cytotoxic in large doses

christmas rose - all parts: gastrotoxic

cocklebur - seedlings and seeds: gastrotoxic and neurotoxic

columbine - seeds and roots: cardiotoxic; easily fatal

corn lily (false hellebore) - all parts: cardiotoxic; often fatal

cowbane (water hemlock, snakeweed) - root: neurotoxic if ingested

daffodil - bulbs and stems: gastrotoxic; possibly fatal

datura/moonflower - all parts: gastrotoxic and cardiotoxic

deadly nightshade (belladonna) - all parts: cardiotoxic and neurotoxic; often fatal

desert rose (sabi star, kudu) - sap: cardiotoxic with skin contact

dumbcane - all parts: dermatoxic; possibly fatal

elder (elderberry) - root: gastrotoxic

elephant ear (angel wings) - all parts: dermatoxic and gastrotoxic

ergot - neurotoxic 

foxglove - leaves, seeds, and flowers: cardiotoxic; often fatal

garlic - all parts: gastrotoxic in animals

giant hogweed - all parts: dermatoxic

golden chain - all parts, especially seeds: neurotoxic and gastrotoxic; possibly fatal

goldenseal - all parts: gastrotoxic and neurotoxic in large doses

grapes/raisins - all parts: gastrotoxic in dogs

greater celandine - all parts: gastrotoxic in large doses

hemlock (spotted cowbane, poison snakeweed) - all parts: neurotoxic; possibly fatal

hemlock water dropwort - roots: neurotoxic if ingested; possibly fatal

henbane - all parts: neurotoxic and cardiotoxic

holly - berries: gastrotoxic

honeybush - all parts: gastrotoxic

honeysuckle - berries: gastrotoxic in mild cases and cardiotoxic in severe cases

horse chestnut - all parts: neurotoxic

hyacinth - bulbs: gastrotoxic and neurotoxic; possibly fatal

iris - rhizomes: gastrotoxic and dermatoxic 

jequirity (crab’s eye, rosary pea) - seeds: neurotoxic and gastrotoxic; often fatal

kava kava - nephrotoxic, hepatotoxic 

kidney bean - raw: gastrotoxic

larkspur - young plants and seeds: neurotoxic; often fatal

lemon - oil: dermatoxic and gastrotoxic to animals  

lily - all parts: nephrotoxic

lily of the nile (calla lily) - all parts: dermatoxic and gastrotoxic if ingested; possibly fatal

lily of the valley - all parts: cardiotoxic; possibly fatal

lima beans - raw: gastrotoxic

lime - oil: dermatoxic and gastrotoxic in animals

lobelia - all parts: gastrotoxic 

mandrake - roots and leaves: gastrotoxic and neurotoxic

mango - peel and sap: dermatoxic

mangrove - bark and sap: dermatoxic and eye irritation

mayapple - all green parts and unripe fruit: gastrotoxic

meadow saffron (autumn crocus) - bulbs: gastrotoxic; possibly fatal

mistletoe - leaves and berries: gastrotoxic, cardiotoxic, and neurotoxic; rarely lethal in adults

moonseed - fruits and seeds: gastrotoxic; often fatal

mountain laurel - all green parts: gastrotoxic

nutmeg - raw: psychoactive in large doses

oak - leaves and acorns: gastrotoxic; rarely fatal

odollam tree (suicide tree) - seeds: cardiotoxic; often fatal

oleander - all parts: dermatoxic, cardiotoxic, and gastrotoxic; possibly fatal

onions - all parts: gastrotoxic in animals

orange - oil: dermatoxic and gastrotoxic in animals

peach - seeds and leaves: cytotoxic in large doses

pokeweed - leaves, berries, and roots: gastrotoxic; often fatal

poison ivy/oak/sumac - all parts, especially leaves: dermatoxic; possibly fatal

poison ryegrass (darnel) - seeds: neurotoxic

potato - raw: cytotoxic

privet - berries and leaves: neurotoxic and gastrotoxic; possibly fatal

ragwort - all parts: hepatotoxic

redoul - all parts: gastrotoxic, neurotoxic, and causes respiratory issues; can be fatal in children

rhubarb - leaves: nephrotoxic

skullcap - hepatotoxic

spindle (spindle tree) - fruit: hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic; possibly fatal  

stinging tree (gympie gympie) - bark and sap: dermatoxic; sometimes fatal

strychnine tree - seeds: neurotoxic; often fatal

sweet pea - seeds: neurotoxic and damaging to connective tissues

tomato - leaves and stems: cytotoxic in large doses

uva ursi - neurotoxic, dermatoxic 

white baneberry (doll’s eyes) - all parts, especially berries: cardiotoxic; possibly fatal

white snakeroot - all parts: gastrotoxic; often fatal

winter cherry (jerusalem cherry) - all parts, especially berries: gastrotoxic; occasionally fatal, especially to children

wisteria - gastrotoxic

yew (english yew, common yew) - leaves and seeds: gastrotoxic if ingested and respiratory issues if inhaled

glossary: 

carcinogenic - a substance that can cause cancer

cardiotoxic - toxic to the heart

cytotoxic - toxic to living cells

dermatoxic - toxic to the skin

gastrotoxic - toxic to the gastrointestinal system (stomach, intestines, etc.)

hepatotoxic - toxic to the liver

nephrotoxic - toxic to the kidneys and urological system (ureters, bladder)

neurotoxic - toxic to the neurological system (brain, nerves, brainstem, spinal cord, etc.)

psychoactive - pertaining to substances that change brain function and result in alterations in perception, mood, or consciousness

© 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟺 𝙰𝙳-𝙲𝙰𝙴𝙻𝙴𝚂𝚃𝙸𝙰

[santmat]

John the Baptist's Vegetarian Diet -- An Exploration of Early Christian Writings and Scholarly Texts - Spiritual Awakening Radio Encore Podcast 

@ Youtube: 

https://youtu.be/rBM34Cm4laE?si=u7tDt-Y4WeiUAHqi

Due to a mistranslation of a particular Greek work in certain gospel manuscripts John the Baptist has gained the most unfortunate cave-man reputation of being a bug eater, an eater of locusts. It's supposed to be locust beans ("egkrides"), used to make a kind of Middle Eastern flat bread or cake from carob flour, not bugs ("akrides")! If we examine early Christian writings and learn of the Nasoraean movement the Prophet John was associated with, a wilderness sect operating near the Jordan River maybe somewhat related to the Essene branch of Judaism, we will discover references to the vegetarianism of John the Baptist and his disciples (Sabians, a "People of the Book"). Contemporary scholars have also recognized this and written about it. Today on this Spiritual Awakening Radio podcast we'll sort through the evidence, including a surprising number of fascinating passages from ancient sources, as well as learn about "Saint John's Bread" and the "Saint John's Tree" of the Middle East.

Since my original research on this topic, a couple more early Christian apocryphal writings have come to light, have been made available in English. These add to the surprisingly large collection of vegetarian references in early Christian writings regarding the diet of John the Baptist. New Testament Apocrypha, Vol. III, by Tony Burke was published and some John the Baptist books are included. In one of the earlier volumes there was a John the Baptist text made available for the first time in English that has a vegetarian passage regarding John's diet in the wilderness. Included in the third volume are, The Birth of Holy John the Forerunner, and, The Decapitation of John the Forerunner, both containing plant-based passages about John's diet consisting of "locusts from the tree" (in the Middle east called "the Saint John's Tree", and "Carob Tree") and "wild honey", also "an abundance of bread and wild honey dripping from a rock". Clearly there was an understanding in early Christianity that this was referring to locust beans (carob pods), not insects. Carob pods do look a bit like locusts hanging from tree branches, hence the name. Locust beans can be ground up and used to make a kind of Middle eastern carob flour flat bread. There's a "cakes dipped in honey" reference in the Gospel of the Ebionites. The wild "honey" was not from bees but sticky desert fruit of some kind. So, as you'll hear being documented during this podcast, there are all these plant-based references to John's diet coming from many different sources, and scholars have noticed and discussed these: 

"Probably the most interesting of the changes from the familiar New Testament accounts of Jesus comes in the Gospel of the Ebionites description of John the Baptist, who, evidently, like his successor Jesus, maintained a strictly vegetarian cuisine." (Professor Bart Ehrman, Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew) "His [John the Baptist's] food was wild honey that tasted like manna, like a cake cooked in olive oil." (The Other Gospels, Accounts of Jesus from Outside the New Testament, by Bart Ehrman)

John the Baptist was a prophet with large number of followers in Israel and Transjordan regions. After his passing, several of his successors headed what became various rival Nasoraean (Nazorean) sects, one of those being Jesus and the Jesus movement. "Again Jesus said to his disciples: Truly I say to you, among all those born of women none has arisen greater than John the Baptizer." (Matthew 11:11, George Howard's translation of Shem-Tov's Hebrew Gospel of Matthew, described as "the oldest extant Hebrew version of the Gospel of Matthew") 

Henry Ford: "Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young." 

Albert Einstein: "Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death."

All for the Love of Wisdom, Radio, and Podcasts,

James Bean

Spiritual Awakening Radio

https://www.SpiritualAwakeningRadio.com

[astra-ravana]

Astra's Essential Herb Collection

A list of herbs I simply can not be without. (May update over time.)

Alkanet- Serpent energy, loyalty, good luck, good fortune, protects money, protection from betrayal

Amber- Protection, mental clarity, personal power boost, spiritual alchemy, manifestation, transformation

American Mandrake- Protection, love, control, spirit communication, astral travel, psychic strength

Amaranth- Strong love, good luck, longevity, prosperity, connection, travel, movement

Bergamot- Purification, exorcism, manifestation, good luck, prosperity, intuition, divination, calms spirits

Bindweed- Binding, strength, temperance, control, peace, beauty

Bittersweet- Nullification, neutralizing, baneful magick, platonic love, friendship, truth (TOXIC)

Black Locust- Defensive, baneful magick, protection, strength, passion, drive, motivation, courage

Blue Lotus- Connection to the divine, divination, astral work, dream work, psychic ability, intuition

Calamus- Spiritual protection, comradery, connection, immortality, clearing, repels negativity, control (TOXIC)

Damiana- Sex magick, love, awareness, seduction, baneful magick, dream work, psychic ability

Dandelion- Divination, wishes, spirit calling, positive chaos, friendship

Dryad's Saddle- Good spirits, the Fae, positive energy, spiritual growth, protection, love, luck

Elder- Transformation, regeneration, ancestor work, the Fae, astral travel, confidence, strength, warding

Eyebright- Psychic ability, divination, truth, third eye, awakening, new beginnings, focus, intuition, perception

Five Finger Grass- Love, money, health, power, wisdom, protection, warding

Fumitory- Consecration, purification, protection, counter magick, return to sender, exorcism, calming

Holy Basil- Spiritual wellness, good luck, blessings, meditation, manifestation, abundance

Jezebel Root- Love, passion, attraction, control, wealth, business success, baneful magick

Lily of the Valley- Purification, protection, happiness, higher consciousness, meditation, peace (TOXIC)

Magnolia- Abundance, banishment, fidelity, fertility, growth, self-reliance, tranquility, wisdom

Marshmallow- Good spirits, love, fertility, cleansing, protection, healing

Mojo Bean- Wishes, good luck, unexpected gifts, prosperity, wealth, good fortune

Mugwort- Dream work, visions, psychic ability, meditation, astral travel, wisdom, protection, channeling, spirit work, spiritual growth

Mullein- Clearing, focus, love, bravery, dreamwork, spirit work

Patchouli- Success, prosperity, abundance, manifestation, connection to nature, energy work

Red Clover- Protection, healing, prosperity, warding, relaxation meditation

Saffron- Success, manifestation, boosts power, protection, love, sex, divination

Sandalwood- Meditation, spirit work, higher consciousness, clearing, cleansing

Star Anise- The evil eye, happiness, psychic ability, manifestation, divination, offerings, abundance, harmony

Spanish Moss- Growth, regeneration, love, strength, patience, justice, revenge, baneful magick

Sulphur- Breaking curses, protection, nullification, baneful magick, exorcism, invoking and banishing

Trillium- Connection to spirit, balance, bravery, recovery, enlightenment, empowerment

Wormwood- Psychic ability, divination, astral travel, spirit work, love, cleansing, protection, power, connection to spirit

Vanilla Bean- Personal Empowerment, good luck, love, money, healing, happiness, glamour

Willow- Healing from depression/grief, protection, cleansing, spirit work, renewal, revitalization, perseverance, resurrection

Wood Betony- Protection, dream work, return to sender, nullification, neutralizing, calming, promotes peace, balance, evil eye

[changingplumbob]

Chopra Household: Chapter 6, Part 8

The birthday continues! Most of the family have appointments to attend afterwards leaving Savannah and Viola under the care of nana Lavina. I mean it's not like she could be any worse than Alana the (insert your favourite swear word for mean nanny)

BTW it was daylight savings here so that's why my posts may seem an hour shifted for you...

If Viola is attempting to say something it will be in brackets, otherwise you can assume it's just trying out sounds Mercedes has a speech delay and may get words wrong, correct wording will be in brackets if that is the case Savannah aka Honeybee Mercedes aka Little Ladybug Viola aka Green Bean

Mercedes: Hey nana

Lavina: Happy birthday kiddo

Mercedes: I have bad news, papa went to the doctor and they found out he’s sick

Lavina: What? Oh why didn’t he tell me? I can’t lose him

Mercedes: Kidding!

Lavina: That’s not very funny young lady

Bizarre thing happened. Mercedes had rolled a like of deception but after this got a prompt saying she felt mischief was wrong? I like the game to have some say so while I did not add a dislike of mischief I changed her like of deception to silly behaviour to match her sister.

Milton: Oh hey you have cake

Savannah: Of course Milton, it’s a birthday party

Milton: That’s uncle Milton to you

Savannah: Mama do we really have to call him uncle? He’s only 2 years older than us

Cassandra: It’s important to be polite to family honeybee

Lavina: And respectful! You girls could learn more respect

Mercedes: *sighs* It was one joke nana

Cassandra: Lavina I have an appointment and Rahul needs to take Mercedes to one. Could you watch the kids for us please?

Savannah: I can watch the house mama

Lavina: Of course I can dear, take all the time you need

Savannah: But nana I can do it

Lavina: You’re six, you couldn’t take care of a fire. Now I hear your sister crying, go play outside or learn something

Savannah: Oh maybe I can find some cool bugs!

Lavina: Just don’t bring them into the house

Poor Viola has been trying to get to sleep but is still a bit overwhelmed by the party.

Lavina: Now what’s all this? You are making a habit of crying every time you see me Viola

Viola: *cries* ge da noo lu (I'm so tired, clapping took it out of me)

Lavina: Is nana scary huh? Big bad nana. Close your eyes and sleep, big bad nana can defend your crib from the monsters huh

Following some soothing Viola does manage to fall asleep as Lavina watches over her.

Outside Savannah isn’t having much luck. But around by the garden she spots some locusts, perfect, papa will approve of catching them! She grabs at them and manages to get hold of 2. Perhaps she can convince mama and papa to take her and Mercedes to Granite Falls so she can find more! Back inside she decides to tackle some homework.

Milton: Why are you holding your pencil like that

Savannah: Like what

Alexander: Don’t be rude Milton, not everyone does things the same way

Milton: Did you never use crayons

Savannah: *gruffly* I have a motor delay actually, pencils are hard

Milton: Oh, sorry

Alexander: That’ll teach you not to be rude

Savannah: I think I’ll go see if mama is back

Milton: I am sorry!

...

Cassandra is pumping in the spare room when Savannah finds her.

Savannah: Mama, can I still go to OT now I’m a child

Cassandra: Of course you can honeybee. It might be called something different but any support you need, we’ll find for you

Savannah: Then Uncle Alexander told him off

Mercedes: Nice!

Savannah: So what did the brain doctor say

Mercedes: They want me to do… Papa how did they say it?

Rahul: Your sister is getting referred to another type of doctor to see if she needs extra help at school

Mercedes: Can I not go to school?

Rahul: No! Whatever you need we can sort but you’ll be best having your first day with your sister

Savannah: Yeah. You don’t want to leave me alone do you? We do everything together

Mercedes: Except OT and word class

Cassandra brings Viola to the table and the family begin eating. For some reason everyone is migrating away from Viola?

Mercedes: Mama did your point tent (appointment) go okay

Cassandra: Apparently I have ADHD which I guess is a bit of a surprise but I’ll be fine. Everybody’s brain has to work in its own way

Rahul: Exactly! Now Viola, how about some peanut butter puffs? Nice and yummy

Viola looks at her papa, confused. Why is what he holding bigger than the things on the plate? It can’t just be her eyesight playing up, can it?

Savannah: Mama, can we have a trip to Granite Falls? I’d love to see some more bugs

Cassandra: Actually papa and I have been talking and we’d like you two to join scouts

Mercedes: Scouts? Why

Rahul: Nature is important to us, we want you both to learn to love it

Cassandra: Plus it will leave after school times free for OT and word class

The girls remain skeptical but agree. Meanwhile Viola is unsure about the taste of peanut butter puffs (and their creepy resemblance to banana once she picks them up) but one thing is for sure, they are fun to play with!

Savannah: Do we have to go to bed mama

Cassandra: It’s getting late honeybee, and don’t you want to check out the new bunk beds

Mercedes: I call dibs on the bottom one! That way you can still tuck me in mama

Cassandra: *smiles* alright but we need to clean up dinner first

Savannah: I got the plates

Cassandra: Mercedes could you put the leftovers away before they spoil please

Mercedes: Yes mama

Rahul: How do you two like the bunks

Savannah: It’s great papa. I can be up high just like butterflies are

Rahul: Good night rugrats, I love you two

Twins: Goodnight papa

Savannah climbs up to the top and snuggles in while Cassandra tucks Mercedes in.

Cassandra: Goodnight Mercedes. I love you both, have good dreams

Twins: Love you mama

Previous ... Next

[invicta-carnelia]

Oh yeah, here's some more of the mechs I've been painting lately!

A locust! I finally purchased a quality gold paint after fighting with the bottle I had before (we will not discuss the atrocity of a Pheonix Hawk that shitty gold paint produced). Luckily this new beans spreads perfect and doesn't even need a second layer in most places!

Next up is my second Timberwolf! My roommate and I got to talking about cars while I was sitting down to paint this and I ended up deciding to paint it like my dad's old navy blue Mustang GT, white racing stripes and all!

And finally, my atlas. I had the idea of painting it with gold over the skull-like face, and the rest of the colors just fell into place afterwards. I think it came out beautifully. A nice balance of shiny and matte.

[pureamericanism]

The honey locust tree (Gleditsia triacanthos) is, along with the periodic cicada, to me one of the great symbols of American weirdness.

When one contemplates the great temperate, deciduous forests of eastern America, at first glance it is easy to see in them a transatlantic continuation of the forests of old Europe. The "oak and ash and [haw]thorn" of Merrie England's countryside are all present, as are beech and maples and other plants that would have been familiar to the English, Dutch, and French who first settled this land. There are certainly forests in the eastern states where, if you squint, you can almost see a troupe of fairy tale knights and ladies riding on brightly caparisoned horses coming round a corner of the trail.

But, upon closer inspection of these forests, we find...the honey locust. A canopy tree with an eccentric growth habit, whose trunk is armored with what can only be called spikes that are sometimes well over three inches long, that produces in fall weird foot long beans full of a semi-sweet manna, and whose wood burns as hot as a coal fire, the only medieval text it would fit neatly into would be the wild travel tales of John Mandeville. And so, for me, it is a symbol of all that is distinctively American, distinctly of thr New World

There's other trees that have a similar effect - the pawpaw with its lumpy, banana-custard fruits, its Goth dried blood flowers, and its giant leaves that smell of diesel fuel; or the tulip-poplar, which hides flowers as bright as the morning sun on top of a trunk a hundred feet tall; or the bald cypress, a conifer that loses its needles every winter and that lives longer than whole civilizations; but the honey locust, common even on suburban streets and city parks, is one of the most frequently encountered and obviously weird of them, and so it's the one I always gravitate towards as a symbol.

[morethansalad]

Vegan Senegalese Yassa

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Mercury Correspondences

From Christian Astrology by William Lilly

(It is mostly word for word. I tried to format it to fit into a nice correspondence list, but the information itself is untouched.)

Zodiac: Rules Gemini and Virgo. Exalted in Virgo, Detriment in Sagittarius and Pisces, Fall in Pisces.

Nature: We may not call him either Masculine or Feminine, for he is either the one or other as joined to any Planet; for if in Conjunction with a Masculine Planet, he becomes Masculine; if with a Feminine, then Feminine, but of his own nature he is cold and dry, and therefore Melancholy; with the good he is good, with the evil Planets ill; In the Elements the Water; amongst the humours, the mixed, he rules the animal spirit: he is author of subtlety, tricks, devices, perjury, etc.

Profession: Generally signifies all literary men, Philosophers, Mathematicians, Astrologians, Merchants, Secretaries, Scriveners, Diviners, Sculptors, Poets, Orators, Advocates, Schoolmasters, Stationers, Printers, Exchangers of Money, Attorneys, Emperor's Ambassadors, Commissioners, Clerks, Artificers, generally Accountants, Solicitors, sometimes Thieves, prattling muddy Ministers, busy Sectaries, and they unlearned; Grammarians, Tailors, Carriers, Messengers, Footmen, Usurers.

Sicknesses: All Vertigos, Lethargies or giddiness in the Head, Madness, either Lightness, or any Disease of the Brain; Phthisis, all stammering and imperfection in the Tongue, vain and fond Imaginations, all defects in the Memory, Hoarseness, dry Coughs, too much abundance of Spittle, all snaffling and snuffling in the Head or Nose; the Hand and Feet Gout, Dumbness, Tongue-evil, all evils in the Fancy and intellectual parts.

Colour: Mixed and new colours, the Grey mixed with Sky-colour, such as is on the Neck of the Stockdove, Linsie-woolsie colours, or consisting of many colours mixed in one.

Savours: A hodgepodge of all things together, so that no one can give it any true name; yet usually such as do quicken the Spirits, are subtle and penetrate, an in a manner insensible.

Herbs & Plants: Herbs attributed to Mercury, are known by the various colour of the flower, and love sandy barren places, they bear their seed in husks or pods, they smell rarely or subtlety, and have principle relation to the tongue, brain, lungs or memory; they dispel wind and comfort the Animal spirits, and open obstructions. Beans, three leaved-grass, the Walnut and Walnut-tree; the Filbert-tree and Nut; the Elder tree, Adders tongue, Dragonwort, Twopenny grass, Lungwort, Aniseeds, Cubebs, Marjoram. What herbs are used for the Muses and Divination, as Vervain, the Reed; of Drugs, Treacle, Hiera, Diambra.

Beasts: The Hyena, Ape, Fox, Squirrel, Weasel, the Spider, the Greyhound, the Hermaphrodite, being partaker of both sexes; all cunning creatures.

Birds, etc: The Linnet, the Parrot, the Popinian, the Swallow, the Pye, the Beetle, Pismires, Locusts, Bees, Serpent, the Crane.

Fishes: The Fork-fish, Mullet.

Places: Tradesmen's shops, Markets, Fairs, Schools, Common Halls, Bowling Alleys, Ordinaries, Tennis Courts.

Minerals: Quicksilver.

Stones: The Millstone, Marcasite or fire-stone, the Achates, Topaz, Vitriol, all stones of diverse colours.

Weather: Delights in Windy, Stormy and Violent, Boisterous Weather, and stirs up that Wind which the Planet signifies to which he applies; sometimes Rain, at other times Hail, Lightning, Thunder and Tempests, in hot Countries Earthquakes, but this must be observed really from the Sign and Season of the year.

Angel: Raphael

Planetary Alliances: His friends are Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn, his Enemies all the other Planets.

Week Day: Wednesday

Correspondence posts for the other planets: [Sun] [Moon] [Venus] [Mars] [Jupiter] [Saturn]