Ancient foilage upon Mother Earth
Posted by msterilinn on Jan 22, 2008
These are some examples of nature persevering despite the war we have waged against her. These plants/trees are this planets oldest living companions. They witnessed Earth in her most pure form, long before the ravages of man blistered and scarred her once beautiful face. And now they bear witness to humanity as we cut down the very air we breath to build our temples and monuments. I can only hope that when the last of mankind has realized his mortality…there is mercy.
~Hiyon Zunshyne
Kings Holly:
1997; King’s Holly (Lomatia tasmanica)
Found in the rainforests of Tasmania. Scientists estimated the age of the plant using a nearby fossil of an identical plant. It was found to be over 43,000 years old! The plants appear to be sterile - incapable of producing flowers and viable seeds. Lomatia is triploid, that is, it has three sets of chromosomes instead of two. Because of this it is unable to sexually reproduce. The clonal thickets reproduce vegetatively by root suckering. Fossil leaves found in a late Pleistocene deposit may be genetically identical to present-day plants. The plant is a rare freak of nature whose origins and age are as yet unknown.
Box Huckleberry :
August, 1999; Box Huckleberry (Gaylussacia brachycera)
Researchers in Pennsylvania have discovered a living plant that is a remnant of the last Ice Age. Using the known rate of growth if this self-sterile plant, they estimated that this 1/4-acre colony is over 13,000 years old. Researchers are still trying to verify the growth rate to determine is that age is an accurate measure.
Mongarlowe Mallee:
March, 2004; (Eucalyptus recurva)
Also known as “Mongarlowe Mallee” or “Ice Age Gum” it is the rarest Eucalypt in Australia or the world, and is known from only 5 individual specimens. Scientists in Australia are undertaking analyses to determine the exact age of one specimen that is estimated to be 13,000 years old. This aging method also relies on determining the plant’s growth rate. Scientists are stilly verifying the growth and performing genetic analyses of neighboring specimens to determine if they are from the same organism.
Creosote Bush:
April, 1980; Creosote bush (Larrea tridentata)
Scientists discovered a giant, and very ancient clone of the creosote bush in the Mojave Desert in California they estimated to be between 11,000 and 12,000 years old.
Prometheus:
1964; Bristlecone Pine (A.K.A.~Prometheus)
Prometheus, an ancient Bristlecone Pine was discovered to be among one of the oldest living trees on earth by Donald R. Curry during the summers of 1963 and 1964. In a ridiculous self-serving attempt to “prove” this, during the summer the United States Congress debated and passed the Wilderness Act of 1964, he managed to reduce the once mighty Prometheus to nothing more than a dead stump. He did this with the assistance of Donald Cox, the Forest Service District Ranger! Prometheus was later determined to be 5,100 years old. The oldest known living thing on Earth at the time. One small step for science, one giant leap for human ignorance!
Methuselah:
Methuselah (estimated germination 2832 BC)
Great Basin Bristlecone Pine (Pinus longaeva) in the White Mountains of California, which was 4,789 years old when sampled in 1957 by Schulman and Harlan. It is the oldest non-clonal living organism still alive, at the age of about 4,839 years old. Located in the “Forest of Ancients” in the Methuselah Grove at between 2,900–3,000 m above sea level, its exact location is currently undisclosed to the public as a protection against vandalism.
Lets hope she never falls prey to the fate of Prometheus.
Herbs and Plants of the Zodiac
Posted by msterilinn on Sep 26, 2007
I recently went questing in search of the herbs and plants relating to my sign in the Zodiac. I truly believe there is a direct connection between our bodies, our health in general, and the plants and herbs associated with our birth sign. This is a belief of many scholars throughout time. I have always been passionate about natural health, and have tried to follow a dietary regimen according to my belief and trust in Nature. After getting seriously ill about a year ago, my journey to find a way to healing my body through natural means brought many new insights.
Health and healing is a realm best approached as naturally as possible, and this can only be accomplished by studying healing plants and herbs which have been tested throughout time. We have lost so much knowledge which once we learned as a natural part of life. Once upon a time, my great-great grandmother could have probably offered advice concerning my health problems before they became so serious. My great-great grandfather may have been able to help prevent much suffering, by showing me which herbs would strengthen my immune system and bring my blood pressure back down to a safe level, or perhaps taught me which herbs should be taken to maintain good health from the beginning.
It is not suprising I have had such a hard time digesting my food properly, considering the poor quality of most food on the market today. We are hard pressed to find truly natural and highly nutritious food, which at one time we took for granted. Luckily, there are herbs which can help us digest our food, yet one truly wonders how much nutrition our bodies are actually digesting and converting into natural energy and nutrients essential for optimum health. It would be ideal if we could all grow our own gardens, and maintain an essential amount of herbs for adding to the preparation our meals, as well as maintaing health and vitality. In a perfect World…
Well then, I will mention that I no longer have high blood pressure. And I was pretty scared when I realized that my blood pressure was EXTREMELY high for at least a year. I finally admitted to defeat in curing this on my own, and went seeking the advice of my friend who is a Naturapathic. Through prayers and the natural herbs administered by my friend, I found my way back to good health. My energy level has increased dramatically, and I can still play tag with the kids! I thank the stars for the gifts in Nature abundant in Mother Earths storehouse of natural remedies. And I hope more people wake up soon and discover just how precious these herbs truly are to living a long and healthy life; which, by the way, some folks consider weeds and indiscriminately destroy each and every day.
So… if you are anything like me, and wish to discover for yourself which plants and herbs are related to your birth sign of the Zodiac, I would be happy to direct you to a few sites I found interesting. You can decide for yourself how you feel about this information, and do some research on your own. I would love to hear any comments or suggestions on this subject, and sincerely look forward to any feedback you have to offer.
Honor Mother Earth, and the bodies we dwell in, with good health and an abundance of Life!
Herbs of the Zodiac by Astrogardener
Herbs ruled by Zodiac Signs and the Nine Planets
Birth Flowers at SunFlower.com
Gardening by Moon Cycles.. Your Goddess Garden
Posted by msterilinn on Aug 13, 2007
The Ancients believed that a Witch received power from the Moon, which may be why many Pagan calendars stress the lunar cycles so much even today. For the Goddess Gardener, however, the Moon is also a symbol of the Lady herself. In literally hundreds of ancient settings, the Moon was characterized as Female, and Her names were many. They include Chia (Columbian), Hina (Polynesian), Luna (Roman), and Selene (Greek), to name just a few.
Beyond the potent symbolic value here, our ancestors felt that timing the planting, tending, or harvesting of one’s plants could be more effective if we followed Moonsigns and Moon Cycles. For example, when the Moon was dark, it was time to plant underground vegetables. When the Moon was waning it was time to plant peas or other items that vine counterclockwise. According to most really talented gardeners that I know from the old school, this type of reverence toward nature’s hints really works.
If you’d like to apply this concept in your own Goddess Gardens, here’s a list that will help you.
GARDENING BY MOONSIGNS
* Moon in Aries: Plant garlic and onions, but nothing that requires really fertile soil.
* Moon in Taurus: Plant potatoes, root crops, leafy vegetables, and bulb-bearing items.
* Moon in Gemini: Weed and cultivate or harvest root crops.
*Moon in Cancer: Graft, sow, transplant, and force budding.
*Moon in Leo: Focus on deterring bugs using natural treatments and companion planting. Harvest items.
*Moon in Virgo: It’s best not to do anything new in the garden at this time other than planting morning glory, honeysuckle, tulips, and endive.
*Moon in Libra: Plant above-ground flowers and vegetables.
*Moon in Scorpio: Plant vining greenery, berries, and grains.
*Moon in Sagittarius: Plant onions. Transplant and preserve your harvest.
* Moon in Capricorn: Plant root crops and tubers. Fertilize the soil.
* Moon in Aquarius: Cultivate, weed, and turn the soil.
* Moon in Pisces: Work with plants that require strong root growth, such as aspargus. Plant flowers.
GARDENING BY MOON CYCLES
FIRST QUARTER:
Plant annuals and vegetables that yield their fruit above ground (such as celery and lettuce). Green vegetables and herbs (such as cabbage and basil) seem to like this phase.
SECOND QUARTER:
Plant any “roundish” flora and vegetables (such as tomato and melon) and any flowering vines.
THIRD QUARTER:
Plant root crops and bulbs or anything that yields below ground (such as garlic). This Quarter is also good for fruit-bearing plants (such as strawberry and cherry).
FOURTH QUARTER:
Let the land rest. Weed your soil, and then turn and fertilize it.
Note that these two systems (gardening by moonsign and gardening by moon phases) can work together nicely. For example, if the moon happens to be in Aquarius at the same time it’s in the fourth quarter, this would double the effect of weeding and turning the soil. After the quarter passes, move forward with sowing knowing that the land is rejuvenated!
More Trivia on Planting by the Moon
Garden and Plant by the Moon Calendar
