11.22.09
Posted in Egyptian, Jewelry at 1:53 pm by Administrator
Hematite has a significant history, due to its shiny, metallic and slightly magnetic properties with colors varying from metallic gray to earthy red. In fact, hematite jewelry is this Examiner’s favorite, and she wears it often to compliment various outfits.
When found, most hematite is streaked with red, consisting primarily of iron, despite the type of hematite. A large supply of hematitic banded iron is located in the upper peninsula of Michigan due to its iron mines. A new process called magnetation uses huge magnets to remove waste hematite from old mine tailings in Minnesota’s Mesabi Range iron district.
Uses of hematite have varied over the years. Hematite red chalk residues have been found in old graveyards from 80,000 years ago. Near Rydno in Poland and Lovas in Hungary, palaeolitic red chalk mines have been found that are from 5000 BC, belonging to the Linear Pottery culture at the Upper Rhine. Ancient Egyptians made cylindrical seals out of hematite and used them to roll impressions onto clay tablets or pottery. (see photo) It is also used in art such as intaglio engraved gems. It was used as a pigment in various paints, especially with the red portion of the mineral. The name hematite is derived from the Greek word for blood because hematite can be red, as in rouge, a powdered form of hematite.
Hematite has been used by mineral and crystal healers because of Hematite’s association with blood. They use it in their rituals for treating blood-related illnesses such as hemophilia, anemia, heart, kidney and liver diseases, cardio-vascular weakness, menstrual cramps, and nose bleeds. Healers recommend hematite for use in treating the stress of jet lag, birth and surgery, tumors, insomnia, leg cramps, nervous disorders and fevers. Hematite was also a Native American remedy for dental problems, pimples, canker sores and alcohol abuse.
Hematite’s popularity in jewelry was at its highest in Europe during the Victorian era from 1837 to 1901 during Queen Victoria’s reign in the United Kingdom. Since then, hematite has seen a strong resurgence in North America, especially in the western United States. During this Examiner’s trip to the Bahamas, homemade hematite jewellery compliments shell jewellry in many shops.
To see some amazing hematite jewelry, visit www.mysticalcharm.com and search for “Hematite”.
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10.26.09
Posted in Egyptian, Essential Oils, Healing Oils, Information at 11:28 am by Administrator
This Halloween season, many of you will no doubt be going to a haunted house or two. It’s fun, exciting and best of all scary. Not everyone gets excited about going to a haunted house and having chainsaw wielding clowns jump out of the shadows. For those people who are going out with their friends but would rather not bring a change of underwear, try any of these aromatherapy blends before hand to calm your nerves and ease your fears.
Do this:
3 drops Bergamot
2 drops Grapefruit
OR
3 drops Sandalwood
2 drops Orange
OR
3 drops Jasmine or Neroli
3 drops Frankincense
2 drops Clary Sage
Add these to a small bottle, cap tightly and mix by rolling gently between your palms. At any time you are feeling afraid or you know you will be afraid (right before you enter the haunted house), uncap and inhale the aroma. The smell will calm your nerves and help you feel relaxed.
Mystical Charm hopes you have a wonderful Halloween season full of fun and (some) frights.
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10.20.09
Posted in Egyptian, Essential Oils, Fantasy, Information, Runes, travel at 12:30 pm by Administrator
The vampires of today are often suave and charismatic. We have Bram Stoker to thank for this modern interpretation of the vampire. His late 19th century book, Dracula, gave artists through the years the framework upon which to build the modern vampire.
Although vampires are generally not believed to exist, vampire sightings still occur today. In fact, vampire hunting societies still exist and are gaining in popularity. In late 2002 and early 2003, allegations of vampire attacks swept the country of Malawi in Africa resulting in the stoning to death of one man and the attack of at least 4 others.
I Europe, where most vampire tales originates, vampire are believed to be fictitious. There can still be found the occasional village that claims to have vampires but these are for economic purposes and not because they are real.
Vampire superstition can still be found in the more rural areas of Romania. In 2004, relatives of Toma Petre believed he had become a vampire. They dug up his corpse, tore out his heart, burned the heart and drank the ashes with water. Clearly, vampire superstition is still around.
Mystical Charm hopes you have a wonderful Halloween season full of fun and frights.
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10.10.09
Posted in Egyptian, Essential Oils, Fantasy, Information at 3:06 pm by Administrator
Stories of supernatural beings who consumed the flesh of others and drank their blood are found in nearly every culture around the world. Today we would call these beings vampires but 5000 years ago the word vampire did not exist. These acts would be attributed to spirits or demons. Even the devil was once synonymous with a vampire.
In India there are tales of vetalas, ghoul like beings that inhabited corpses, have been compiled into the Baital Pachisi. The most well known story tells of a king who spends his nights in pursuit of one. Also in India, the goddess Kali has fangs and wears a necklace or corpses or skulls, is associated with the drinking of blood.
The Persians were one of the first cultures to have stories of demons who drank blood. Pictures of creatures drinking blood from the living have been found on excavated pottery shards.
Ancient Babylon had the story of Lilitu, a demon who drank the blood of newborn babies. The ancient Hebrews adopted this story into their culture and renamed the demon Lilith.
The ancient Greeks and Romans were unique in that their cultures did not have blood drinking demons or spirits but instead demigods who consumed the flesh of mortals simply for pleasure. Some would transform into a young woman and seduce a man, getting close enough to drink their blood. Another were described as birds who drank blood and ate flesh.
Mystical Charm hopes you have a wonderful Halloween season full of fun and frights.
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10.09.09
Posted in Egyptian, Fantasy, Information at 1:02 pm by Administrator
The idea of the vampire has existed for millenia. Every ancient culture, including the Mesopotamians, Ancient Greeks, Hebrews, Egyptians and Romans, all had legends of demons and spirits who we would view as a precursor to the modern vampire. Although there were vampire-like creatures in these ancient cultures, the vampire as we know them today originated in the early 18th century in Southeast Europe.
Tales of vampires in this region included revenants (a visible ghost or animated corpse) of evil beings, people who killed themselves and witches. It was believed that a evil spirit could also possess a corpse thus creating the vampire. Or one could be bitten by a vampire and be “turned”.
Such legends had a powerful impact on the lives of a superstitious people. In some areas it has caused mass hysteria and public executions of those believed to be vampires.
Mystical Charm wishes you a wonderful Autumn season full of fun and the occasional fright.
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08.15.09
Posted in Egyptian, Fantasy, Information, travel at 9:55 pm by Administrator
Around 3000 B.C.E. jewelry making had become a big business in the cities of Akkad and Sumer. Most of the archaeological evidence comes from the Royal Cemetery of Ur. While many burials were unearthed, tombs for the Kings contained a multitude of artifacts in gold, silver and precious stones. Items such as crowns made of lapis lazuli embellished with gold figurines, jewel headed pins and close fitting collars.
Jewelry was made of gold leaf set with a high number of highly colored stones (such as agate, lapis and jasper). Jewelry was fashioned into leaves, spirals, cones, bunches of grapes and more. It was common for jewelers to create pieces for both human use as well as adorning statues.
Jewelry was such a big business in Mesopotamia that very detailed records were kept of what was made, for whom (or what), what it was made of and how much raw material was needed.
Mystical Charm offers a wide variety of hand crafted jewelry. Made in the USA by artists who wish to carry on the tradition of fine metalwork.
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Posted in Egyptian, Information, Jewelry at 12:25 am by Administrator
Nearly everyone is familiar with Ancient Egyptian jewelry. From the necklaces and other pieces found in King Tut’s tomb to what we see on display at local museums, most people stand in awe of what an ancient culture was able to do with gold, silver and jewels.
Established jewelry making in Egypt began between 3000 - 5ooo years ago. Egyptian preferred gold over other materials because it was rare and easy to work with. Jewelry in Egypt soon became a symbol of power, both political and religious, in the community. Jewelry was worn in both life and death as a persons favorite pieces were often included in grave goods.
Although Egyptians had access to jewels, they preferred to work with glass. They liked the colors they could get working with glass as well as having the control over the final product. For every gem that could be mined, the Egyptians had a glass “gem” to mimic it. The color of the jewelry was also very important. The Egyptian Book of the Dead stated that the necklace of Isis around a mummy’s neck had to be red to satisfy Isis’ need for blood. Green jewelry meant fertility for the crops.
Although some of the materials had to be imported, such as Lapis lazuli and silver, emerald (a favorite of Cleopatra) was mined in the Red Sea. Egyptian designs were most common in Phoenician jewelry. Ancient Turkish designs found in Persian jewelry suggest that trade between the Middle East and Europe was not uncommon.
Mystical Charm is pleased to offer Egyptian jewelry. From Egyptian Birth Signs to The Jewels of Atum Ra.
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06.27.09
Posted in Egyptian, Information at 10:50 pm by Administrator
Pendulums are fascinating devices, often associated with predicting future events or outcomes. In a way a pendulum is an old-school “Magic 8″ ball, but uses a person’s energy rather than a prism in liquid and plastic. A pendulum is built out of a stone or crystal hanging from the end of a string or chain. This article discusses details of pendulums and their use in dowsing.
Pendulum dowsing started with ancient peoples as much as 8,000 years ago, as evidenced on primitive cave drawings of a man dowsing with a twig. The ancient Egyptians provided the first recorded evidence of using a pendulum on a drawing dated at 4,000 years old, using them as a means of spiritual healing the same as we do today. The details of pendulum dowsing have held pretty steady over the centuries, offering much insight into pendulum use.
Many people claim that a pendulum should choose the owner. Hence, if a potential owner really likes a particular pendulum, they should try to go with their feeling rather than fight it. It could be that their energy is more in tune with that specific pendulum than others. When selecting a pendulum, remember that many pendulums are geometric in form and contain much symmetry in design.
After purchasing a pendulum, it is a good idea to cleanse it — not just physically, but with its energy. Make a point to free the pendulum from its “picked up energies” by either holding it under running cold tap water or soaking it in sea salt.
Pendulums can be used as a divination tool to answer a specific question. Some swing clockwise and counter-clockwise, while others swing from side to side. Prior to asking the pendulum a deep question, it is always a good idea to ask the pendulum to show its swing for yes by saying, “Show me yes.” Likewise, ask the pendulum to indicate which way it swings for no by saying “Show me no.” Do the same for “Show me neutral.” Take note, so that when asking other questions you will understand the response.
Prior to asking your questions, be sure to focus your energy. Perhaps take a time to meditate, pray, or state a request. An example intention statement would be, “It is my intention to discover truthful answers which will better the lives of all involved.” Wishful thinking or a preconceived outcome, however slight, can be magnified making the use of the pendulum in that instance ineffective. One must take steps to prevent this.
Also, make sure that the questions asked will be phrased in such a way that either “Yes, no, or neutral” will suffice as answers. Asking multiple questions about the same topic, but in different ways, is often a good way to verify the answers received and to obtain more detailed information.
When holding the pendulum, use the thumb and forefinger to hold the string about three or four inches above the pendulum. The fingers and arm should not be held rigidly, because then the pendulum would never move. The idea is for any movement of the hand or arm to be unconscious and not influenced by wishful thinking. These movements may take the form of a slight twitch or arm spasm, sending the pendulum into motion quickly.
Keep a notebook handy to record the questions and responses. In between questions, make sure to completely stop the pendulum’s motion. This resets the energies from the previous question and allows the pendulum to work accurately on the next. Then document the response. Only accept the information received if the user’s instincts assure them that it is accurate. If in doubt, retry with a different question until certain of the answer.
Finally, when finished, wash any bad energies from the pendulum and safely keep it for a future time. Small treasure boxes work great for this, as they keep the pendulum protected and in a place of high regard.
But how does a pendulum work? Is it some sort of magick? No, there is no magic involved, as the pendulum uses a natural process of tuning into one’s Higher Self. When focused, people can connect with the intuition many of us had as children. As pendulum users become more proficient, the intuition becomes so strong that the “hunch” turns into “knowing.” To connect to the Higher Self is the same as increasing awareness and raising one’s consciousness. Therefore, the pendulum can be used to detect imbalances in energy fields, in healing, in energy balancing, and in finding missing objects.
Pendulum work could be a way for people to reconnect with their youth, to rediscover the intuition they had as children, and to help find answers to the unknown. Many pendulum types exist. Some pendulums are available online at Mystical Charm. Remember to let the pendulum choose the owner, and all should go well!
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06.21.09
Posted in Egyptian, Symbols at 2:20 pm by Administrator
Eye of Horus Sketch
The
Eye of Horus itself is represented, not by a human eye as many people think, but by a falcon’s eye with a tear in one corner, and the separate parts of the eye can be divided in ancient Egyptian measurements into six parts. These six parts correspond to the six senses -
Touch, Taste, Hearing, Thought, Sight, Smell. Since the eye is considered the receptor of *input*, it has these six doors, to receive data.
The construction of the eye follows very precise laws. The senses are ordered according to their importance. And according to how much energy must be received by the eye for an individual to receive a particular sensation. All of the sensory data input is considered the eye’s “food”.
In the Ancient Egyptian measurement system, the Eye of Horus represented a fractional based system to measure parts of a whole. The entire eye measured 1 heqat. And each of the parts of the eye measured fractions of the heqat. More specifically, the corresponding sense data and their equivalent heqat fractions are:
Sense of Touch: Part of the eye pointing downward, representing planting a stick into the ground. It is 1/64 of a heqat. This part of the Eye of Horus is like planting a stalk that will take root in the Earth. Since the Earth represented touch to the Egyptians, planting itself represents physical contact and touching.
Sense of Taste: Part of the eye that spirals down to the left, representing the sprouting of wheat or other grain from the planted stalk. It is 1/32 of a heqat. The spiral is like the food we put into our mouths, so it represents taste. Since the tastes we experience come from touching different shapes, taste is based on touch, so is a larger part of a heqat.
Sense of Hearing: The left half of the eyeball is the part of the eye representing the ear. The figure points toward the ear and also has the shape of a horn or musical instrument. It is 1/16 of a heqat. When hearing a sound, we find this to be either pleasing or unpleasant. The sound has a taste for us, causing a preference. Thus, sound requires requires both “touch” and “taste”, and is hence a combination of the lower senses.
Sense of Thought: The curve at the top of the eye is like our eyebrow, which we often use to express our thoughts. It is 1/8 of a heqat. Eyebrows are also the facial feature that is closest to the part of the forehead associated with thinking.
Sense of Sight: The circle, or pupil, of the eye represents seeing, or the sensation of light. It is 1/4 heqat.
Sense of Smell: The right side of the eye points to the nose and even looks like a nose. It represents the sensation of smell. It is 1/2 of a heqat.
Putting all of these six senses together created one whole Eye of Horus:
1/64 + 1/32 + 1/16 + 1/8 + 1/4 + 1/2 or with common denominators:
1/64 + 2/64 + 4/64 + 8/64 + 16/64 + 32/64 = 63/64 (almost one whole)
According to Egyptian legend, the Eye of Horus’ first use as an amulet was actually performed by Horus himself who offered it to his dead father Osiris, restoring him to life. The great healing and protective powers of the wedjat eye as an amulet were widely known and believed as early as the Old Kingdom (2300 B.C.E.). Large numbers of them were often placed among the wrappings of mummies in addition to being worn as pendants and rings. The unique form of the eye, with the downward spiraling element which starts at the forward corner is taken from the distinctive facial markings of hawks. The most common colors used for the amulets were blue and green since these represented regeneration to the ancient Egyptian.
The Eye of Horus, sometimes also called the eye of Ra, represents a sign of power given to the wearer by the gods of the time. It can also be a symbol that you are protected from harm by the god represented in the eye, whether that be Horus or Ra. The Egyptian word for this symbol is Wadjet, which literally translated means god or goddess. Horus himself was the falcon headed Egyptian god that originally represented the sky, but also came to be recognized as the sun and moon god as well.
Currently, Mystical Charm offers a few products depicting the Eye of Horus. One of them is a beautiful Eye of Horus Treasure Box useful for storing all sorts of unique jewelry, mementos, or special keepsakes.
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06.15.09
Posted in Egyptian at 8:46 pm by Administrator
Egyptian zodiac
Usually when speaking of astrology or the zodiac people think of the Chinese. However, the meaning of “horoscope” may technically be derived from an ancient Egyptian astrological system.
The Egyptians designed the Zodiac of Dendera, which was discovered on the ceiling of the Temple of Hathor in Dendera of Central Egypt. The Zodiac of Dendera depicts aspects of Nile Valley astronomy, astrology, agriculture and calendar making. It has two circles of figures in its design. The inner circle of figures move counter-clockwise like the stars, showing the astrological signs of the zodiac circling the North Pole (symbolized by the deity Anpu.)
The outer circle of figures uses the concept of “decans.” The Egyptian calendar year was comprised of 36 ten-day weeks, each of which was called a decan. The total days of a year, then, created a circle (360 degrees). Likewise, the twelve figures outside of the circle represent 12 months of the year and their arms meant the 24 hours of the day.
Based on this design, the 12 signs of the Egyptian zodiac were created to regulate agriculture. Each sign governed three decans (30 days) and was called one of “the watchers of the hours.” Since the word “hour” derives from the god Horus, the signs of the Egyptian zodiac were also considered “the watchers of Horus” — thus the origin of the word “HOROSCOPE”.
The 12 Egyptian Birth Signs are thus based on different gods and being born within a particular sign influences a person’s character. These birth signs are available as individual amulets or necklace charms at Mystical Charm’s website. Find out what Egyptian birth sign you have!
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