"It is not so much for its beauty that the forest makes a claim upon men’s hearts, as for that subtle something, that quality of air that emanation from old trees, that so wonderfully changes and renews a weary spirit."
- Robert Louis Stevenson
"By my intimacy with nature I find myself withdrawn from man. My interest in the sun and the moon, in the morning and the evening, compels me to solitude."
- Henry David Thoreau
(Source: nirvikalpa)
"Wonderful how completely everything in wild nature fits into us, as if truly part and parent of us. The sun shines not on us but in us. The rivers flow not past, but through us, thrilling, tingling, vibrating every fiber and cell of the substance of our bodies, making them glide and sing. The trees wave and the flowers bloom in our bodies as well as our souls, and every bird song, wind song, and; tremendous storm song of the rocks in the heart of the mountains is our song, our very own, and sings our love."
- John Muir
(Source: fernsandmoss)
"The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way. Some see nature all ridicule and deformity.. and some scarce see nature at all. But to the eyes of the man of imagination, nature is imagination itself."
- William Blake
(Source: implexa, via mysticmementos)
(Source: junxushangrila)
The Healing Properties of Trees & Flowers
- BIRCH - this tree is indicative of cleanliness & determination in overcoming adversity. Use when wanting to make a fresh start & ridding yourself of bad influences
- ALDER - is a water-loving tree, the God linked with this tree is Bran the blessed, is for spiritual protection & prophecy.
- WILLOW - medicine stands for female & lunar rhythms of life. She is water-seeking like the alder. Offers protection against damp diseases & modern herbal Practioners extract salicin from the bark to be used to ease illnesses like rheumatic fever. The gift of fertility is also represented here.
- ASH - The World Tree, it has deep penetrating roots which change the chemistry of the soil, making undergrowth difficult for other vegetation. Helps link the earthly and spiritual. Good medicine for meditation.
- HAWTHORN - Small tree with dense, many-branched body. Best used for cleansing & chastity, bringing protection from the inner magical realms.
- OAK - The Oak’s place in Celtic lunar calendar is seventh among thirteen months. The Oak has protected England through the use of his timbers for the building of ships. Oaks are used as boundary marker. Oak medicine is best used for securing your pursuits, protecting while attaining your goals. It is essential protection for those less able, who require security in order to strengthen their characters.
- HOLLY - a white-wooded tree with almost invisible grain, looks much like ivory. Holly is associated with the death and rebirth symbolism in both Pagan & Christian lore. In Arthurian legend, Gawain (Representing the Oak King of summer) fought the Green Knight, who was armed with a Holly club to represent winter. Holly medicine may be used with difficulties in sleep and to ease the passage of death.
- HAZEL - Hazel embodies many talents: poetry, divination, and the powers of meditation. In Celtic tradition, the Salmon of knowledge is said to eat the nuts dropped into its sacred pool from this tree growing beside it. Each nut eaten by the salmon becomes a spot on its skin. In Europe and North America, Hazel is used to gain knowledge, wisdom & poetic inspiration.
- APPLE - A dense, fine grained, rosy colored wood with a sweet smell. Apple is associated with choice. This is good medicine to use when your are having difficulty in making decisions, whether they are work or relationship oriented.
- VINE - This is used in the development of prophetic powers, best when used while trying to reach deeper state of consciousness and when doing healing work.
- IVY - Represents the spiral of the self and the search for self. The maze of the labyrinth is also linked to Ivy, since it symbolized the wondering soul, circling inward and outward, seeking nourishment from within & without, leading you to ENLIGHTENMENT . A wonderful aid if helping others on a spiritual journey.
- REED - Helps create spiritual weapons - gives you direction. Best when used before beginning healing work or soul retrievals.
- BLACKTHORN - is a wintery tree. Fruits, known as sloes, only ripen after the first frost. The Gaelic word “staif” has links with English word “strife”. Wood of Blackthorn is traditionally used with the Irish shillelagh. It represents the strong action of fate or outside influences in your life. Blackthorn should not be used by the novice.
- ELDER - is linked to eternal turnings of life and death, birth and rebirth. It represents the end/beginning and beginning/end. Significant of creativity and renewal.. new beginnings.
- SILVER FIR - is used to bring knowledge of your present and past lives into now. The color sliver links you to your SILVER THREAD symbolizing your awareness of the progress of your spiritual journey. Best used when searching for gift of INSIGHT.
- HEATHER - used for Solitary healing work (going within) Heather along with mistletoe create powerful healing medicine in both spiritual and physical aspects.
- WHITE POPLAR - concerns with earthly and material aspects of Life. Also with finding the spiritual determination to face hardship we have to endure. This tree has the ability to resist and to shield, also an ability with languages and speech with close relationship with the winds.
- YEW- mostly found in ancient cemeteries. In Breton Legen, the tree is said to grow a root into the open mouth of each corpse buried in the graveyard. This root is the symbol of rebirth. Good medicine when used in working with past life issues and regression.
- GROVE - tree of All Knowledge. The grove represents a sacred place where all is linked and becomes clear. Helps you look beneath the surface of things.. whether situations or people. Medicine works with your hidden knowledge, helping you to manifest it at the appropriate time.
- SPINDLE - completion of tasks. Ability to complete something to its end, no matter how difficult. Good for progressing in certain areas of your life which are of difficulty to you.
- HONEYSUCKLE - helps you to distinguish what is real from what is false, and what is of real value on your journey. The honeysuckle will help you tread safely - remaining true to your quest.
- BEECH - Beech wood is close grained and easy t work with - smooth and even surface. Beech medicine can tell you about yesterday and how it is relevant today. Handling old objects or visiting a place connected to your past will bring understanding of people, incidents, reviving the memories within that are needed.
(Source: lucifelle)
Extraterrestrial Hurricanes: Other Planets Have Huge Storms, Too
Hurricane Irene is a monster storm on Earth. But it’s just a baby compared to the massive cyclones of Jupiter and Saturn
Our planet is not the only one in the solar system that boasts huge, hurricane-like storms. The gas giants Jupiter and Saturn, for example, churn out spinning squalls that can be bigger than the entire Earth. While these storms aren’t fed by warm ocean water the way terrestrial hurricanes are, they’re similar in a lot of ways, scientists say.
“There certainly are storms that have thunder and lightning and rain that are bigger than terrestrial hurricanes,” said atmospheric scientist Andrew Ingersoll of the California Institute of Technology, a researcher with NASA’s Cassini mission to Saturn. “And more violent — the winds on those planets are stronger, too.”
Giant Planets, Giant Storms
Hurricane Irene measured about 600 miles (966 kilometers) across as it bore down on the U.S. East Coast today (Aug. 26).
That’s big and scary, but it pales next to storms on our solar system’s gas giants. Jupiter’s Great Red Spot — which has been raging continuously for at least 180 years — could fit two entire Earths within it, Ingersoll said.
And in December, a thunderstorm about 6,200 miles (10,000 km) wide erupted on Saturn. This one, known as the Great White Spot, is still going strong, and some of its clouds have wrapped all the way around the ringed planet.
(via ikenbot)
