In Pure Spirit

For open minds

The magic meanings of the Valentine collection at Arena Flowers

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We’ve Valentine’s Day coming up and whether it’s for your beau or a nice gesture for your mum you’ll probably want to give someone flowers. A bit cliché? It’ll help if we look into the symbolic meaning of some of the bouquets available at Arena Flowers (a large florist who’ll be able to cope with the Valentine’s Day rush).

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Pastel Fairtrade Roses

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Let’s start with these as they’re Fairtrade. Roses are popular on Valentine’s Day as their traditional symbolic meanings include love, honour, faith, beauty and sensuality.

Tarot readers will remind us that the rose appears on several important Major Arcana cards; The Fool, The Magician, Strength and Death.

The pastel Fairtrade rose bouquet contains 10 x pink Fairtrade roses, 10 x white Fairtrade roses, 3 x gypsophila and are hand tied.

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True Romance

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In addition to some lovely roses True Romance has some Ginestra. As it happens there’s a number of Genisteae for Arena to pick from but it’s worth knowing about the Welsh myth of Blodeuwedd.
Blodeuwedd is a woman made from the flowers of broom which traditionally made from Ginestra. The flower is associated with weddings.

Genistra tinctoria is also known as dyer’s broom and was once used as a powerful yellow dye.

True Romance has 6 x sweet avalanche roses, 6 x red Naomi roses, 2 pink ginestra and 4 x parvi.

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Desire

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A popular gift for Valentine’s Day, the Desire bouquet contains 7 x purple Alstromeria, 5 x cerise rose, 5 x purple carnation, 5 x pink hypericum and is hand tied by florists.

The lead flower, the Alstromeria, is traditionally associated with friendship and devotion. It’s said that the upside down leaves, that twist and turn, is similar to the way friendships mature.

If you’re looking to avoid red roses then this particular bouquet steps up as an interesting choice.

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Spring Meadow

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This is a busy bouquet which you can customise with a vase and a classic look.

This bouquet contains Agapanthus a flower named after the Greek words “agape” and “anthos” or love flower. In the language of flowers the Agapanthus is occasionally used to mean “love letter”.

In parts of Africa the roots of the Agapanthus plant are sometimes boiled in water to create a tonic given to pregnant woman. This may be a dangerous thing to do as the sap contains substances that can upset the skin.

The Spring Meadow contains 4 x blue Agapanthus, 6 x white avalanche roses, 4 x tanaceturm, 3 x greenbell, 4 x yellow spray roses and 6 x Eucalyptus robusta.

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In Pure Spirit

Are you planning something special with flowers this Valentine’s Day? Let us know about it in the comments below once it is safe for you to share.

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Chinese New Year 2016: What does the Year of the Monkey mean?

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Year of the Monkey fashion collection

With the advent of 2016, the Chinese New Year is almost beginning and in tandem with the Chinese zodiac, it is the Monkey’s Year. It is set to start on Monday, 8th February. If this year is to be the Year of the Monkey what does that mean?

The Chinese Zodiac.

The Chinese zodiac is a method in the Chinese folklore of naming personality traits in association with zodiac animals according to the person’s year of birth. This system has 12 animals, and thus, the cycle rotates over a period of 12 years. The following animals are considered zodiac animals;

  1. Goat-People born in the year of the goat are often associated with these traits; sensitivity, kindness, politeness and creativity.Some of the years are;1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015,2027.
  2. Monkey-People in the year of the monkey is known to be witty and quite intelligent. Some of the Monkey years are 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016,2028.
  3. Rooster-Independence and punctuality are the traits associated with people born in the Rooster years;1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029.
  4. Dog-Honesty and loyalty are the major traits associated with people born in these years 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030.
  5. Pig-People born in these years are friendly and lazy;1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031.
  6. Rat-Adaptability and intuition are an association of the people born in the year of the rat. The years include;1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020.
  7. Ox –People born in these years 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021,2033 are known to be conscientious and moral.
  8. Tiger-Courage, unpredictability and stubbornness are traits associated with people born in the year of the tiger.They are; 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034.
  9. Rabbit-People born in these years 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023,2035 are associated with compassion, modesty and are known to be impulsive.
  10. Dragon-Confidence, wit and dominance are traits associated with these years 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024,2036.
  11. Snake-Intelligence, wisdom and privacy are traits associated with the year of the snake 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025,2037.
  12. Horse-People born in this year are popular, free spirited, hard working and intelligent. The zodiac years are 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026, 2038.

So, if you’re a Monkey, according to the Chinese zodiac you are lively, smart and witty. You are also short-tempered and jealous, but you are quite gentle and honest.

Love.

In matters of love, Monkeys are more compatible with the Ox and the Rabbit though they should avoid the Tiger and the Pig because they are considered a bad omen.
This year, however, will be a challenging year for Monkeys. They will have colourless relationships though they have higher chances of getting lucky during the 7th and 12th Chinese lunar months.

Lucky and Unlucky Numbers.

Like a Monkey, your lucky numbers are 1,7 and 8.However, you should avoid 2, 5 and 9.

Career.

Monkeys will have prosperous careers this year if correctly aligned with the year Monkeys will have prosperous careers if properly aligned with the Tai Sui star. Monkeys should focus on their jobs and discipline themselves otherwise; they won’t achieve anything.Monkeys should be wary of untrustworthy people and be taught to avoid getting in trouble. They should seize opportunities during the 2nd, 5th and 12th Chinese lunar months as these are their luckiest.

Health.

Monkeys will experience minor illness, but they won’t come to a lot of harm if they are careful.They should take caution of traffic when going about their daily activities and avoid taking risks.

Some famous monkeys include; Tom Hanks, Mick Jagger and Kim Cattrall.

In Pure Spirit

Is the Chinese New Year special to you? What does the Year of the Monkey mean for your family? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Are these really spooky coincidences?

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Do you believe in coincidences?

The digits in the speed of light are exactly the same numbers as the latitude of the Great Pyramid of Giza. What does that mean? A coincidences?

This Vsauce has over 4,000,000 views. It goes to show that we are interesting in uncovering the truth, whether there’s any secrets being hidden, and that we’re also interested in debunking nonsense.

In Pure Spirit

Do you think the Vsauce team are right? Or do you think there are some so-called coincidences are too unlikely?

600 year old Japanese Tsunami warning stone

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warning-stone

Hundreds of these centuries-old Tsunami warning stones can be found on the Japanese coastline. The carvings warn readers to head up hills and move to the high ground after any earthquake because of the risk of Tsunami. Some of the carved warning stones have been placed at the high water marks to write down how bad it could be.

As important as these carved stones are I can’t but help to pause and note their beauty too. They look like something you might find in Middle Earth.

In Pure Spirit

Can you think of any other examples where ancient wisdom – like these stones – are as relevant today as they were hundreds of years ago?

I suppose one example might be those herbs which scientists now back as helpful? Sites like HerbsPro in the States, or Home Herbs in the UK along with the cooking centric Pukka Herbs come to mind.

(Via Austin Brown.)

The Meaning of Boxing Day

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boxing_dayMany people want to stay in countries that are celebrating the Boxing Day right after the celebration of Christmas Day. But most of them are not aware of its importance in the tradition of those people who belong in American and European nations. Boxing Day is one of the most special traditions that can be found in the United Kingdom, United States and other countries in the different parts of the globe. History shows that this event has been created to promote the season of giving in the duration of the Christmas season. Its name has been invented  to describe Christmas gifts in boxes. It’s a season of giving and it was designed to give real happiness and joy to the Christmas celebration of servants who deserve to be happy in the celebration of Christmas season.

This tradition is already well known in the different parts of the globe in the duration of 18th century. Until now, it remains as one of the most important traditions in English-speaking nations that can be found in Europe and America. This celebration has nothing to do with the popular sport in this world that is well known as boxing. It’s a great time for enjoyment and relaxation for those people who want to stay on the side of their family members in one of the most special days in the whole celebration of the Christmas season.

The exact date for Boxing Day this event is December 26. It’s an annual event that was designed to serve as a day off for all servants who want to provide their family members with gifts right after the celebration of Christmas day. On the exact date of this celebration, all servants will be provided with Christmas boxes by their masters as a sign of thanksgiving and humbleness while celebrating the birth of the Jesus Christ. Servants can use all things that can be found in their Christmas boxes as gifts for their family members when needed.

The main purpose of Boxing Day is to make sure that all people in this world will be happy and aware of the true spirit of Christmas celebration for the rest of their lives. In other countries, new terms and words were used to introduce this event. In South Africa, the term that was used since 1994 to describe this tradition is Day of Goodwill since it encourages people to be humble and aware of the real meaning of love while celebrating the second day of Christmas season. In Europe, the most common term for this special tradition is Second Christmas Day.

At the present time, the new term that has been introduced to describe this celebration is bank holiday. This is because Christmas boxes are no longer popular in the whole celebration of Christmas day in this modern world. There are times that the celebration of this event will be moved to December 27 if December 26 falls on a Sunday. This tradition is something that all servants or workers should never miss in the whole celebration of Christmas season.

In Pure Spirit

What does Boxing Day mean for you? Is it about hitting online stores like Amazon and eBay in search of sales? Is it about recovering from a busy Christmas Day?

What tips do you have for getting the most out of Boxing Day? Let us know in the comments below.

Image Credit: Patheos.

The horrible lies they tell you – natural labels mean nothing

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Shocked by the video? Looking for some organic and trusted brands? Here’s a quick few! Organic Surge, Michael Todd True Organics, Nourish Organic and One Love Organics.

Want food? What about Graze or even the organic ranges at Tesco or Waitrose?

See. Phew. Plenty of choice.

In Pure Spirit

Can you think of any friends who need to see this video? Do you think the laws in Europe are any better than the American system in which the word “natural” has no meaning?

What do the colour of candles in spells mean?

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Candle magic is present in a number of religions and that is perhaps one reason why so many people know to make a wish after blowing out a candle. The core concepts of this form of spell casting are the ability to focus on a goal, the end results and then the ability to focus your intent or will to create that result.

Some forms of candle magic pay special attention to the colour of the candles. You may already know about the association some religions have with black candles or that some traditions allow for white candles to be swapped in for any other colour.

The colour of candles in magic

  • Black: Negativity and banishment
  • Brown: Nature such as plants, animals, weather and earth
  • Dark Blue: Depression and vulnerability
  • Gold: Financial gain and business dealings
  • Light Blue: Health, patience and acceptance
  • Green: Financial gain, growth, abundance, fertility
  • Orange: Attraction, positive feelings and encouragement
  • Pink: Friendship and romantic love
  • Purple: Power and ambition
  • Red: Courage, health and sexual desire
  • Silver: Reflection and intuition
  • White: Truth and innocence
  • Yellow: Persuasion and protection

candles

In Pure Spirit

Do you have any candle magic or colour insight to share?

What the goddess Eostre means to Easter

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Spring reminds us of new beginnings and plans for the year ahead. With it comes the imagery of chicks and bunnies, eggs and flowers, which heralds the start of Easter. These images, which embody ideas of rebirth, are not just attached to the Christian festivities of Easter; they are formed from ancient beliefs and mythology, including the celebration of the pagan goddess Eostre.

The name Eostre derives from Northumberland Old English and was first identified in Bede’s work, De temporum ratione, written in the 8th century AD. The mythology goes back much further to pre-Christian times and, aside from the similarities in name, the themes of Easter can also be traced to these pagan beliefs.

Eostre was regarded as a goddess of fertility and has been associated with the Northern European Saxons, though there are variations of her name as she was adopted by different pagan civilisations. Today, Wiccans and Neo-pagans recognise Eostre in the form of Ostara, from Old German, and they celebrate Ostara, the start of the zodiacal year, as one of their eight annual Sabbats. Ostara occurs at the spring equinox, which falls around the same time as Christian Easter festivities, and celebrates the planting of seeds and the return of fertility to the land after the darkness of winter.

eostre5Eostre’s association with renewed life means that she has been characterised as bringing light, with her name suggestive of the sun rising in the east. Commenting on an entry he had read for Eostre in a dictionary of etymology, John Andrew Boyle described how she was supposedly imagined as surrounded by lights which were held up by hares. Hares and rabbits are appropriate symbols for new life because they sleep longer throughout winter and tend to mate in spring.

Some commentators have also been tempted to link Eostre with the Norse goddess of love and fertility, Freyja, who was said to have ridden in a chariot pulled by cats. As John Andrew Boyle states, the idea of cats and hares are seen as synonymous with witch familiars in Wiccan and Neo-pagan beliefs, and it is sometimes thought that the hare was Eostre’s incarnation.

Today we see these representations of the hare and light in the modern festivities of Easter: the Easter bunny brings eggs, which are symbols of fertility, and the longer hours of daylight brings life to crops, flowers and animals.

The Eostre figure is common across many belief systems, with several goddesses of fertility and rebirth found in the ancient pantheon of gods and goddesses. Among those most familiar to us today are Aphrodite, Demeter, Cybele and Ostara.

As well as the similarities with ancient myths, the pagan belief in Eostre also ties in with the Christian belief in Jesus. At Easter Christians celebrate the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ as a powerful cyclical motif of the promise of life after death.

One origin of this concept can be seen in Greek mythology with Cybele, the Great Mother goddess, who desired Attis. Attis, like Jesus, was said to be born to a virgin mother during winter and died and was resurrected around the spring equinox. It has been suggested that, as pagan spiritual beliefs pre-existed the Christian faith, many pagan rituals were transposed onto Christian belief during the pagan conversion to Christianity.

While it is difficult for us to be sure of the origins of particular beliefs, it seems clear that there are dominant themes which remain throughout certain festivals. Nowhere is this more obvious than the ways in which Easter and Eostre celebrate the positive regeneration of life.

In Pure Spirit

Do you still have any faith or time for Eostre? What about Easter? What does Easter mean to you?

What does Pope Emeritus mean?

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Pope Benedict XVI blesses the faithful as he leads his Urbi et Orbi at the Vatican

The word “emeritus” comes from Latin. It’s an adjective that means “retired” but it is also used to honour the position once held by the retired person.

The most common usage is with professors who are still professors even if they’re not teaching any more. However, presidents, prime ministers and bishops also use the title.

In February 26th 2013 the Vatican announced that the retiring Pope Benedict XVI would keep the name Benedict (birth name: Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger), would dress in white without the mozzetta and become known as pope emeritus.

Benedict is the first pope to resign since 1415 when Pope Gregory XII was forced out of office thus ending the Western Schism. The Western Schism of 1378 to 1417 wa a time when the Catholic Church was split and two different Popes (both elected by the same people) claimed the title.

What does Pope Emeritus mean? It means the honourable and former Pope. Who is the Pope Emeritus? There may have only been one Pope Emeritus in the history of the church todate and he is Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.

In Pure Spirit

Does the retirement of a Pope mean anything to you? Does it feel like you’re living through an incredibly rare moment in history to you or is this just background news?

Disclosure

This blog discusses ideas and causes. Urban myth and history combine here. In Pure Spirit covers stories from elsewhere on the web and may make fair use clippings and quotations from the original source.