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Sylvia Rose
May 4, 20242 min read
Christmas Oranges & Yule Fruits
Sweet oranges in Europe and northern regions are a special treat at Christmas, going back to St Nicolas of Myra (270 - 343) in today's...
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Sylvia Rose
Apr 29, 20248 min read
Honey Bees (Apidae): Nature & Myth
Honey bees create honey, beeswax and folklore. First domestication of the honeybee is c. 8000 BCE, in the Neolithic Age. At this time...
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Sylvia Rose
Apr 29, 20244 min read
Honey Mead: Most Ancient Ambrosia
Honey mead is likened to ambrosia , nectar of the Greek Gods, with qualities of immortality and divine transcendence, beloved by bears...
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Sylvia Rose
Apr 28, 20243 min read
Grayanotoxins: the Madness of Honey
Grayanotoxins are neurotoxins. They're active ingredients in mad honey, produced by bees harvesting pollen and nectar of plants carrying...
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Sylvia Rose
Apr 6, 20246 min read
Mad Honey - What's the Buzz?
Mad honey comes from a group of plant-produced neurotoxins named after Leucothoe grayana, a plant native to Japan. Grayanotoxins can...
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Sylvia Rose
Apr 4, 20245 min read
Mugwort (Wormwood) Medicine & Herb Lore
Mugworts are used in folk medicine of India, China, Europe, America and other regions. A member of Artemisia , mugwort is also called...
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Sylvia Rose
Feb 4, 20247 min read
Khet, the Body: Death Rites of Ancient Egypt
Khet represents the physical body and is considered part of the soul in ancient Egypt. The soul is made of eight parts. Together they...
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Sylvia Rose
Jan 10, 20244 min read
Salt Trade - the Most Precious Mineral
Salt is an essential mineral of life. In food it stimulates taste and is among the oldest preservation methods. Part of the human taste...
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Sylvia Rose
Dec 27, 20233 min read
Cress, Watercress: Natural Health of Ancients
Watercress ( Nasturtium officinale ) grows in fresh water. With hollow stems, it floats and is easily gathered from the water's surface....
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Sylvia Rose
Dec 20, 20234 min read
Giant Cinnamon Birds of Arabia
Cinnamon birds appear in folklore of Eurasia shortly after Arab merchants begin trading with ancient lands to the north. Cinnamon enjoys...
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Sylvia Rose
Dec 19, 20235 min read
Cinnamon - Spice Trade of Ancients
Cinnamon ( Cinnamomum ) is the oldest known spice in the world. The fragrant bark comes into popular use by c. 2000 BCE, when Egyptians...
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Sylvia Rose
Dec 13, 20234 min read
Kushuh (Kušuḫ) Hurrian Moon God
Kushuh (Kušuḫ) is the oracular moon god of the Hurrians. He's among the most popular gods of the pantheon, with worship centers in...
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Sylvia Rose
Nov 20, 20234 min read
Minoan Genius (Genii) Helper Spirits
The Minoan Genius (pl. Genii) spirit appears as a hybrid animal merger of animals which can include lion, snake, hippopotamus, crocodile,...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 23, 20233 min read
Rosemary: Immortal Essence & Balm of Kings
In natural health, magic and alchemy the fragrant herb rosemary ( Salvia rosmarinus ) is associated with memory, immortality and...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 19, 20234 min read
Wine God Liber: Liberty & Liberal Libation
Liber is an ancient Roman wine god whose feast Liberalia is celebrated March 17. He predates Bacchus; early historians see Liber as a...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 18, 20233 min read
German House Spirits: Beer Donkey (Bieresel)
Bieresel loves beer and other fermented beverage s , such as apple cider, mead or wine. In German folklore the beer donkey lives in wine...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 16, 20234 min read
Immortal - Quest for the Elixir of Life
The Elixir of Life has value beyond money. The concept first appears in Mesopotamia of the 2nd millennium BCE. Its discovery is one of...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 13, 20236 min read
House Spirits of Germanic Mythology
House spirits such as Kobolds , domestic elves , gnomes and the earth hen are popular figures in Germanic myth and folklore. They have...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 9, 20234 min read
Pagan Christmas Yule Fests: Frau Holle
The Festival of Frau Holle decks the halls from her Feast Day 25 Dec to the 5-6th of January. An ancient German goddess, Frau Holle...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 8, 20235 min read
Mulberry Tree (Morus): Uses, Folklore & Myth
Benefits of mulberry (Morus) include personal health, wood, silk, color for yarn and food. Romantic myth surrounds fruitful mulberry...
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