02.07.10
Posted in Essential Oils, Information, Jewelry, travel at 4:17 pm by Administrator
Saint Valentine’s Day has been part of our calendar for as long as most of us can remember. A day traditionally viewed as a celebration of romance and love. The only problem is, not only were there 2 Saint Valentines, neither were associated with love and romance.
The first of the Saint Valentines was Valentine of Rome. He was martyred just for the fact he was a Christian in 269 A.D. The second Saint Valentin was Valentine of Terni who was martyred by Emperor Aurelian. These men were early Christians who preached their ideologies in Ancient Rome and Rome was not very tolerant of people who “went against the grain’.
There has never been any relationship between romance and either of the Valentine’s but by the time they were linked to romance in the mid 14th century, any distinction between the Valentine’s was lost to time.
Although there is no direct link between the Valentine’s and romance, the Feast Day of Saint Valentine is still a part of the modern calendar and will be for a long time. We at Mystical Charm hope this Valentine’s Day brings you romance, love and all the chocolate you can eat.
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12.16.09
Posted in Essential Oils, Fantasy, Information, travel at 11:42 am by Administrator
The modern image we have of Santa Claus has evolved over the years. The origin of the red suited and well nourished gift bringer has been debated by scholars for years. What scholars can agree upon is where the American version of Santa Claus originated.
The Dutch settled an island on the east coast of America around 1624. Later, in 1664, British colonists arrived and New Amsterdam fell in to the hands of the English. Soon after than the city was renamed New York and still retains that name to this day. The original Dutch settlers were allowed to remain in the city so long as they obeyed English law. Most did and lived productive lives never having issue with the English. Their traditions stayed with them however and were openly practiced.
One of these was the tradition of Sinterklaas. In 1809 Sinterklaas was renamed Sancte Claus and was “promoted” to patron saint of New Amsterdam. He made his first appearance in 1810, dressed in bishops robes. Over the years he acquired a more secular appearance and by the 1880’s he appeared as the jolly fat man we know and love today.
The English version of Santa Claus began as Father Christmas but he was associated with holiday merrymaking and drunkenness. As the Victorian Age took over, the image of Santa Claus was remade into what we know today.
Mystical Charm hope you all have a wonderful holiday season full of fun and family.
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12.14.09
Posted in Essential Oils, Fantasy, Healing Oils, Information at 10:12 am by Administrator
Nowhere in the Bible is there an exact date given for the birth of Jesus. Scholars all over the world have proposed a number of dates (and years) for His birth but there seems to be a lack of consensus. Some believe He was born during Passover because the scripture says all of the inns were full. Others have pointed to Chinese astronomy charts which tell of a “bright light in the Eastern sky” in the spring of 4 B.C. and believe this was the “Star of Bethlehem”.
It wasn’t until around 200 A.D. that Clement of Alexandria wrote that a group of Christians in Egypt celebrated the nativity on Pachon 25 (May 20th of our calender). There is no other mention of Christmas as a major feast day for the church. In 221 A.D. Sextus Julius Africanus suggested that Jesus was conceived during the spring equinox (March 25th on the Roman calender) and therefore he must have been born on December 25th (nine months later).
Thus began the idea that Christ was born on December 25th. The early church was not all together on this idea however. Early Christians did not have a unified system of belief. Different areas of the world celebrated significant events at different times of the year. It was not until the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. (a meeting of Christian bishops from all of Christendom that attempted to attain consensus on church theology) that Christians had a unified system of belief.
News of the councils consensus was slow to travel in those days. Even slower was the adoption by some churches of the “new theology” of the church. Some churches had been celebrating the nativity on January 6th as part of Epiphany by saying is was part of the baptism of Jesus. Later Christmas was promoted as a feast day as part of the revival of Catholicism following the death of Arian Emperor Valens in 378 A.D. It was slow to start but by 400 A.D. it was a popular feast day through most of Chistendom.
Mystical Charm hopes you have a wonderful holiday season full of fun and family.
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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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10.23.09
Posted in Essential Oils, Fantasy, Information, Runes, Symbols, travel at 3:05 pm by Administrator
Lycanthropy is the mythological ability of a man to shapeshift into a wolf, or wolf-like creature. Sometimes this is done willingly, other times is is done because the person was bitten by another werewolf or placed under a curse. The transformation accompanies the appearance of a full moon.
These are the attributes associated with the werewolf as we know them today. Stories of werewolves have been around for centuries. Petronius of ancient Greece wrote stories about men who could turn into wolves at will.
Herodotus wrote in his Histories about a tribe in the north-east of Scythia, the Neuri, were transformed into wolves once every 9 years. This was to symbolize Earthly regeneration and rebirth. Another myth tells the tale of Lycaon, who was transformed into a wolf by Zeus after consuming human flesh. This is actually one of the earliest examples of the werewolf legend.
Other stories from ancient Greece and Rome tell similar tales as a way of teaching morality. These were often used to teach the younger generation about how to live and treat other people.
Mystical Charm hopes you have a wonderful Halloween season full of fun and 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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10.15.09
Posted in Essential Oils, Fantasy, Healing Oils, Information, Symbols, travel at 1:03 pm by Administrator
Ghost Hunting has been around for much longer than most people are aware of. Thanks to the popularity of movies like Ghostbusters, and TV shows like Ghost Hunters, most believe that hunting for spirits is a new phenomenon. The truth is that hunting for the restless spirits of the dead goes back much further.
The oldest recorded case of ghost hunting is reported by Pliny the Younger in 100 A.D. When he told the story, it was already a century old tale. The tale tells of a man who bought a house in Athens. The price of the house was far below what it was worth but the sellers wanted to be rid of it and quickly. One night while the new owner was resting comfortably by the fire, a spirit came to him wrapped in chains. The spirit beckoned him to follow and so he did. He was led to a spot in the garden behind the house where the spirit vanished. The next morning, with the permission of the city magistrates, he dug the spot and found a skeleton wrapped in chains. Once the body was given a proper burial the hauntings ceased.
Not much of ghost hunting is mentioned for centuries until the mid-1880’s. William James, a philosopher, suggested applying scientific methods in the search for spirits and ghosts. He found allies in London with Alfred Wallace, Harry Sidgwick, Harry’s wife Elanor and Edmund gurney. Together they founded the Society for Phychical Research to collect evidence proving, or disproving, the existence of ghosts, haunted houses and other paranormal phenomenon.
Ghost hunting would not become a mainstream hobby until the 1970’s with the founding of the Chicago area Ghost Trackers Club (which became the Ghost Research Society in 1981). Today there are over 300 separate ghost hunting organizations throughout American and England and the list is growing.
Mystical Charm hopes you have a wonderful Halloween Season full of fun and frights.
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10.14.09
Posted in Essential Oils, Fantasy, Information, Symbols at 12:27 pm by Administrator
Most of the myths we have today about vampires had their origin in the Medieval Period. Two 12th century historians recorded accounts of revenants but otherwise account of vampiric beings after this are scant. Tales of vampires were mostly silent until the 18th century.
During the 18th century there was a dramatic increase in vampire sightings, especially in Eastern Europe. Frequently there were grave diggings and stakings of suspected vampires. Government officials often took part in these as well. Even though this was known as the Age of Enlightenment, beliefs in vampires rose to the point of mass hysteria throughout most of Europe.
In 1721 a panic began in East Prussia and spread to other communities. From this panic arose one of the first and most famous of vampire cases. The story revolves around Peter Plogojowitz of Serbia. The story says that one night in 1725, a knock came to the door of Peter’s house around supper time. The stranger was allowed in and offered to sit at the table. The stranger asked for food but was refused. The next morning, Peter’s was found dead with puncture marks on his neck. The surviving family believe the “stranger” was Peter’s father who had died ten years earlier.
Cases such as this were common during this period. Government officials wrote case reports and published books on the subject. So much was the hysteria surrounding vampires, it became known as the “18th Century Vampire Controversy” It wasn’t until physicians got involved that the vampire controversy was “put to rest”. Laws were passed prohibiting the opening of graves and desecrating of bodies. Even so, vampire stories continue to live on in artistic works and local superstition.
Mystical Charm hopes you have a wonderful Halloween season full of fun and frights.
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10.13.09
Posted in Essential Oils, Fantasy, Information, Symbols, travel at 12:59 pm by Administrator
Scientists have, for decades, been interested in proving the existence of ghosts to be false. Scientists are by nature skeptics and therefore require tangible evidence of something before they will believe. Even with evidence, scientists tend to try and disprove it until there can be no doubt to it’s authenticity. Very few scientists will take anything on faith.
One theory is that geomagnetic fiends can act on the temporal lobe of the brain and cause many of the experiences associated with hauntings. This theory has been tested in several ways but never proven conclusively. Other scientists attempt to link the onset of haunting phenomenon to increases in global geomagnetic activity. Other theories include carbon monoxide poisoning and infrasound (sound waves lower that 20 Hz). All of the work being done has been controversial and subject to debate.
There are at times rational explanations as to why certain phenomenon occur. Changes in the air pressure in a room can cause a door to suddenly close, or lights passing through a window at the right angle can give one the impression of being haunted.
For the times when no rational explanation can be found, we turn to “Ghost Hunters”. People who have a real desire to put ghosts to the test and verify their authenticity. These dedicated men and women spend their free time searching for evidence of ghostly activity or to prove that there is, in fact, a plausible explanation.
Mystical Charm hope you have a wonderful Halloween season full of fun and frights.
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10.11.09
Posted in Essential Oils, Fantasy, Healing Oils, Information at 12:29 pm by Administrator
In 1848, two sisters from Hydesville, New York, claimed to have the ability to communicate with the dead. What followed became the spiritualist movement in America that claimed a number of adherents in the 19th century.
An increase in the popularity of all things paranormal rose as a consequence. Books were written for the growing middle class which included sketched of “ghosts and spirits”. Accounts of ghosts, doppelgangers, poltergeists and haunted houses began to surface all of the United States. In London, a newspaper was devoted to the Spiritualist community. Called The Light, the newspaper contained articles such as “Ghosts in Africa” and “Chronicles of Spirit Photography”.
The ability to summon or exorcise spirits of the dead have been part of religious practices for Spiritualists and practitioners of ritual magic for centuries. The Spiritualists movement of the 19th century has had an impact on the way the western world sees ghosts that lasts to this day. The pseudoscientific explanations of ghosts such as spirit photography and “ectoplasm” lend an almost scientific method to ghosts. Today, ghost hunting and ghost photography are as popular as ever with new “Ghost Hunting Societies” coming together almost daily.
Mystical Charm hopes you have a wonderful Halloween season full of fun and frights.
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