Lemon Balm tea

Lemon balm tea has been called the “Elixir of Life” due to its incredible anti-viral, anti-bacterial, digestive, and sedative properties. Incredibly, it also has high levels of antioxidants which substantially increases its ability to heal and work effectively. Lemon Balm contains a compound called terpene which has the ability to help relieve anxiety, stress, hypertension, depression, high blood pressure, muscle spasms, heart palpitations, tension headaches, circulatory issues, and cognitive disorders such as Attention Deficit Disorder and Alzheimer’s Disease. Lemon Balm also benefits chronic gastrointestinal disorders including indigestion, IBS, colitis, and acid reflux. Lemon Balm has the ability to promote a healthy, balanced immune system and endocrin system, which is highly beneficial for autoimmune disorders such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Adrenal Fatigue, Multiple Sclerosis, and Vertigo. It is also useful in treating insomnia, sleep disturbances, and jittery nerves, allowing for a more relaxed body and better quality sleep. The polyphenol tannins contained in Lemon Balm give it its anti-viral properties making it particularly helpful in healing colds, flu, bronchitis and any viral infections. Topically, Lemon Balm can be applied as a cream to help heal and provide relief for cold sores and shingles as well as cuts and wounds. Essentially, Lemon Balm is a heal-all herb and has rightfully earned its reputation as the “Elixir of Life”. As a delicious and refreshing drink, Lemon Balm tea can be added to your weekly health regime for a wide range of healing benefits. Fresh or dried herb can be steeped in hot water for a minimum of ten minutes and sweetened with raw honey, if desired.

Aker

Aker (god)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Aker in hieroglyphs
[1] ꜣkr
Aker

In Egyptian mythology, Aker (also spelt Akar) was one of the earliest gods worshipped, and was the deification of the horizon. There are strong indications that Aker was worshipped before other known Egyptian gods of the earth, such as Geb.^{[citation needed]} Aker itself means (one who) curves because it was perceived that the horizon bends all around us. The Pyramid texts make an assertive statement that the Akeru (= 'those of the horizon', from the plural of aker) will not seize the pharaoh, stressing the power of the Egyptianpharaoh over the surrounding non-Egyptian peoples.

As the horizon, Aker was also seen as symbolic of the borders between each day, and so was originally depicted as a narrow strip of land (i.e. a horizon), with heads on either side, facing away from one another, a symbol of borders. These heads were usually those of lions. Over time, the heads became full figures of lions (still facing away from each other), one representing the concept of yesterday (Sef in Egyptian), and the other the concept of tomorrow(Duau in Egyptian).

Consequently, Aker often became referred to as Ruti, the Egyptian word meaning two lions. Between them would often appear thehieroglyph for horizon, which was the sun's disc placed between two mountains. Sometimes the lions were depicted as being covered with leopard-like spots, leading some to think it a depiction of the extinct Barbary lion, which, unlike African species, had a spotted coat.

Since the horizon was where night became day, Aker was said to guard the entrance and exit to the underworld, opening them for the sun to pass through during the night. As the guard, it was said that the dead had to request Aker to open the underworld's gates, so that they might enter. Also, as all who had died had to pass Aker, it was said that Aker annulled the causes of death, such as extracting the poison from any snakes that had bitten the deceased, or from any scorpions that had stung them.

As the Egyptians believed that the gates of the morning and evening were guarded by Aker, they sometimes placed twin statues of lions at the doors of their palaces and tombs. This was to guard the households and tombs from evil spirits and other malevolent beings. This practice was adopted by the Greeks and Romans, and is still unknowingly followed by some today. Unlike most of the other Egyptian deities, the worship of Aker remained popular well into the Greco-Roman era. Aker had no temples of his own like the main gods in the Egyptian religion, since he was more connected to the primeval concepts of the very old earth powers.

Nettle tea

Nettle leaves are a powerful herbal medicine that grow abundantly in the wild. They are rich in chlorophyll and minerals such as iron, chromium, zinc, copper, magnesium, silicon, cobalt, and calcium. Nettles are also high in vitamins A, E, D, C, & K. Nettle tea is a strong immune booster and has the ability to neutralize toxic antigens in the body. Nettles also contain a potent anti-inflammatory agent which help to curb the action of cytokines, one of the key components to inflammation in the body. Nettle leaves are also very helpful in preventing chronic headaches, sore throats, sinus infections, and fatigue and are beneficial for diabetics as it is known to lower blood sugar levels. Nettles are known to help relief bronchial ailments such as chronic coughing, chest congestion, COPD, and TB. Nettles are also powerful enough to help to eliminate viral and bacterial infections and aid in removing excess fluids in the body by acting as a natural diuretic. Nettle leaf can provide relief for digestive issues such as nausea, flatulence, acid reflux, and colitis. Nettle tea supports the endocrine system including the spleen, thyroid, and pancreas. It is also beneficial in boosting liver and heart health and helps to prevent urinary tract infections as well as bladder and kidney stones. Nettle tea can also help stop frequent nighttime urination, which may be beneficial for those who need to sleep soundly without interruption. As a mouth rinse, cooled nettle tea is excellent for gingivitis and can help prevent plaque buildup on the teeth. Fresh wild nettle can be found growing as weeds in garden beds, in empty lots, and meadows & fields and can be juiced, steeped as a tea, or steamed like spinach. Dried nettles leaves can be found online or at your local health food store and be used as a tea for daily benefits. Capsules & tinctures are also available and provide another way to get the amazing health benefits of this healing herb year-round.

Life of Pi Movie

The story begins when a writer (Rafe Spall) who is looking for inspiration visits Pi (Irrfan Khan) to hear about his fantastic tale and brave adventure ‘that will make you believe in God’. Pi revisits his childhood in India taking care of zoo animals with his father, until the day his family decides to move to Canada. An epic storm sinks the ship and Pi finds himself alone on a lifeboat with the hungry carnivore. He manages to build a raft in order to maintain a safe distance from the animal.The relationship between the two becomes the narrative core; in the middle of nowhere, all they have is one another.

Assisted by by 3D technology, Lee’s film transcends the instinct of survival theme, becoming an enchanting portrait of visual poetry and one of the best examples of stunning visual effects I’ve seen. Everything portrayed is contained within a very specific idea of Pi’s perception; for example, reflections on water make swimming seem like flying among the clouds. Recurrent mirror effects provide a spiritual dimension to the journey. It’s a dreamlike vision of very harsh conditions, where the raging of nature is viewed as a rare work of art – favourite examples of sheer aesthetic beauty are a sequence in which flying fish miraculously fill the lifeboat just as the food has run out, and the harsh majesty of a life-threatening storm.

The cinematography shifts away from the realistic via an exaggeration of the colour palette, which only heightens the magic of the picture. Being absorbed by the illustrations – in many ways, the film looks like a picturebook – some anticipated emotion is drowned along the way. The film’s supremacy is in its personalised reading of a philosophy of life rather than on the feelings it projects. A strongly recommended trip for those who dream in colour.

5 Revived Religions you should Know about

Through the history of mankind, religions have known a constant flux of appearance and disappearance. Some religions were short-lived, while others were practiced for thousands of years before their flame was extinguished.

Though,  at times, it happens that a religion reemerges from the old pages of history, after it had been erased by the sands of time. This is the story of ancient Mediterranean and European religions. Today, five ancient religions are slowly making their comeback, with thousands of followers enacting their arcane rituals and praying for gods whose names had long been forgotten.

Modern adherants of Greek Religion in a religious ritual

Hellenismos

Hellenismos or Dodekatheism, refers to various religious movements that emerged since the 1990’s aiming to revive and reconstruct the ancient Greek religion. Hellenism is estimated to have between 100,000 and 150,000 followers worldwide, most of them based in Greece and the United States, making it one of the most established and widespread religions among pagan reconstructionist movements. 

The modern day Hellenic religion is a religious devotion revolving around the Greek Pantheon (especially the Twelve Olympian gods like Zeus, Apollo, Athena…etc). It’s also a way of life based on traditional ancient Greek virtues, such as self-control, moderation, hospitality, and reciprocity. 

A ritual of Modern Kemetism

Kemetism

Derived from the olden name of Egypt "Kemet" - meaning the black land - Kemetism is the modern revival of the ancient Egyptian religion. Kemetism is an officially acknowledged religion in the United States and the Czech Republic. It’s estimated to have between 50,000 and 100,000 followers worldwide.

The adherents of Kemetic religion are diverse, ranging from what's referred to as Kemetic Orthodoxy (based on a philosophical approach of Egyptian religion), to Kemetic Reconstructionism (reviving the religion as it was historically as much as possible), Kemetic neopaganism (syncretich paganism with focus on Egyptian elements), and Black Kemetism (related to afrocentric ideologies), which emerged among black people in the United States and France.

Most Kemetics worship ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses like Ra, Sekhmet, and Bastet. The religion's ethics call its followers to lead a life inspired by ancient Egyptian philosophy, mainly revolving around sustaining and nurturing Ma'at – the cosmic harmony, truth, balance, and order.

A modern Ridnoviry ritual

Heathenism

Heathenism refers to the revival of Germanic paganism, which began in the 20^th century. Today, it gathers between 20,000 and 50,000 followers worldwide, although some estimates put a much higher estimate due to the intersection between Germanic paganism and the Metal music scene, as well as other cultural and political phenomena. Followers of Germanic paganism are mostly focused in the United States, Iceland, Scandinavian and Northern European countries.

Heathenism is also a very diverse culture with many schools of thought like Odinism, Theodism, Asatru and others. The religious practice is based on worshipping and honoring the gods and goddesses of the European north like Odin, Thor, and Freya, and reconstructing their rituals. Heathenism is also focused on ancient Germanic values such as truthfulness, self-reliance, courage, hospitality, and honor.

A modern Religion Romana relgious service

Religio Romana

The Roman polytheistic revivalist movement is often referred to as Religio Romana: "The Roman Way to the Gods". Attempts to revive the ancient Roman religion date back to the 1980’s.  There are between 5,000 and 10,000 followers of Religio Romana, most of them in Italy.

Roman religious reconstructionism focuses on the worship of the Roman gods and goddesses such as Jupiter, Bachus, and Juno. Its values are based on ancient Roman culture and encourage its followers to lead a life of order, civility, hospitality and industriousness.

A number of books published recently on Near Eastern and modern Canaanite religion

Near Eastern Religions

Near Eastern religions are the newest addition to revived religions, with their first revival attempts starting in the late 1990’s. Revival movements include the Sumerian religion, the Babylonian religion, and notably, the Canaanite religion – the most loathed and feared religion in the Bible.

Near Eastern revivalism focuses on honoring and worshipping Near Eastern gods and goddesses like Ba'al, El, Inana, and Ishtar. With hundreds of followers worldwide, mostly based in the US, there have been several journalistic features in the last few years on the reemergence of Near Eastern religions – especially of the Canaanite flavor - at the heart of their homeland, in countries such as Palestine/Israel, and Lebanon.