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Sylvia Rose
Apr 27, 20244 min read
Black Hellebore: Toxins, Health & Lore
Black hellebore (Helleborus niger) or Christmas Rose is a plant of the Helleborus sub-family, used in folk medicine and lethal poisons....
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Sylvia Rose
Apr 24, 20246 min read
Heimchen - House Crickets of Folklore
Heimchen are house crickets (Acheta domesticus) in German folklore, said to bring luck or foretell disaster. Dwarfs might take the form...
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Sylvia Rose
Apr 23, 20248 min read
Great Bear - Nature, Spirituality & Lore
Bears in nature, spirituality and myth or lore have astral qualities as well as strong earth connections. An apex predator and fierce...
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Sylvia Rose
Apr 22, 20246 min read
Syrian Brown Bear - Bronze Age Wild
The Syrian brown bear (Ursus arctos syriacus) is a subspecies of Eurasian brown bear. Native to the Middle East, Caucasus Mountains and...
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Sylvia Rose
Apr 20, 20246 min read
Lake Van: Fate of a Primeval Soda Salt Lake
Lake Van is the largest lake in Turkey. A saline soda lake, it's fed by numerous mountain streams. Van lacks a water outlet, making it...
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Sylvia Rose
Apr 19, 20245 min read
Mahaleb Cherry: Spice, Nature & Myth
Mahaleb cherry (Prunus mahaleb) or St. Lucie cherry is a species of fruit tree cultivated for a spice in the cherry stones. The fruit...
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Sylvia Rose
Apr 19, 20247 min read
Mt Nemrut Volcano: Nature & Lore
Mount Nemrut is a dormant volcano in Van province of east Turkey, near Lake Van in the Armenian Highlands. Nemrut is named for the...
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Sylvia Rose
Apr 17, 20244 min read
Great Cormorant: Wild Birds & Mythic Beasts
The great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) has a scattered range throughout the world. Largest of the cormorants, the bird is hunted...
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Sylvia Rose
Apr 15, 20244 min read
Alum: Tanning, Dye & Beauty Salts
Alum is an ingredient in processes such as dyeing fabric, tanning hides and water purification. Alum is ubiquitous in ancient and...
33 views
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...
69 views
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
Mar 23, 20246 min read
Yarrow (Achillea) Magic & Medicine
Yarrow is an herb of magic and medicine. A flowering plant native to the northern hemisphere yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is commonly...
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Sylvia Rose
Mar 11, 20245 min read
Black Pigments of Ancient Artisans
Black is among the first pigments in the palette of early humans. By Paleolithic times, black defines lines, shadows and meaning. Black...
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Sylvia Rose
Mar 10, 20243 min read
White Pigments of Ancient Artisans
White pigments used in ancient art, spirituality and beauty include bone, limestone variations like chalk and other natural sources....
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Sylvia Rose
Mar 6, 20246 min read
Red Ocher (Ochre) Ancient Pigments
Red ocher is among the first colors appearing on the palette of early humans, along with white and red. Black, white and red are also...
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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 20, 20244 min read
Ephedra - Oldest Medical Stimulant Herb
Ephedra is a genus of shrub growing in hot arid and semi-arid regions throughout the world. As a natural health medicine plant and...
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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 31, 20234 min read
Ishum: Night Watchman & Fire God
The God Ishum is the sukkal or divine attendant of Nergal, Lord of the Underworld, death and disease. Like many deified sukkals, Ishum...
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Sylvia Rose
Dec 29, 20233 min read
Scorpion Men of Babylonia
Scorpion men (Akkadian: girtablullû, aqrabuamelu) make an appearance in various Akkadian language myths. They include the Enûma Elish...
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