A light read for your Pagan Sunday morning!
Remember to tune in tomorrow for the Monday Meditation, and all week long on the Facebook page for articles, memes, and your Daily Magic Guides and Tarot Readings!
In the News
Weekly Horoscope
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| Tarot.com April 11-17 |
This Week's Totem: Eagle
In ancient Greece, Eagle was associated with Zeus, who shape-shifted into one to see the greater picture of things. In the indigenous Nations of North America, Eagle is generally seen as the connector to the Great Spirit, and is sometimes considered to be the Thunderbird. In ancient Gaelic tribes, Eagle was called "Suil-na-Greine" or "Eye of the Sun."
Eagle represents the power of and connection to the Great Spirit (God, Goddess, whatever you wish to call that which you see as 'divine') or Mystery. It's the ability to stay both in this world and strongly attached to the realm of Spirit.
Eagle's message is to soar above the mundane and view things from a larger perspective. If you've been too caught up in the day-to-day irritations of life, or are taking things personally, it's time to disconnect from those emotions and reconnect with the element of Air (mental plane). See how all of the pieces you've been viewing myopically are placed together in the puzzle that is your life (Wyrd, Imramma, Destiny). Connect to that which is greater than yourself and cut the ties to that which binds and prevents you from flying free.
All eagles are renowned for their excellent eyesight. Those who carry Eagle medicine tend to be both clairaudient and clairvoyant.
Water is an important source of sustenance for eagles. Those with this totem will feel a strong need to live near water, mainly a fresh water source.
Eagles are considered messengers from heaven and the spirit of the sun. They are also symbols of rediscovering the inner child. Three is a sacred number for those with this medicine. Three represents new birth and creativity. A study in alchemy is also recommended for those who have eagle as a totem.
Eating with the Seasons: Oranges
History- Oranges are thought to have their origin in a sour fruit growing wild in the region of South West China and North East India as early as 2,500 BC. For thousands of years these bitter oranges were used mainly for their scent, rather than their eating qualities.
The Romans brought the fruit to Europe and later oranges were spread to Spain by the Moorish conquests in the eight and ninth centuries. The sweet orange familiar to us today probably developed somewhat later.
The fruit arrived in Central America with Columbus in 1493 and soon afterwards the Portuguese introduced them to Brazil. Sweet oranges imported from Portugal were enjoyed by wealthy Britons in the late sixteenth century.
Oranges are now an important crop in warm climates around the world, most notably Brazil, USA, Spain, North and South Africa, Israel and Australia.
Note: The color 'orange' was named after the fruit. The word's origin is in Sanskrit, "naranga" which means, "fragrant".
Tips
Buying
Choose oranges that are firm and feel heavy (weightier oranges are juicier). Very large fruit can sometimes be less sweet and concentrated in flavour. Skin color is not indicative of quality - untreated ripe oranges are often pale orange or greenish but those sold in supermarkets may be treated with ethylene (to break down the green chlorophyll) and then colored with orange dye.
The vast majority of commercial oranges (Sevilles apart) are treated with a wax polish that may have deleterious health effects. If using the rind, try to find unwaxed (and ideally organic) oranges.
Storing
Oranges in the shops today may have been picked anything from a few days to a few weeks earlier. Most will keep for a couple of weeks at room temperature.
Preparing
If juicing, roll on a flat surface first to set loose the juice. If using the zest, scrub the skin thoroughly.
Nutrition Facts: On average, an orange has about 47 calories. It is 87% water, has 0.9 grams of protein, 11.8g carbs, 9.4g sugar, 2.4g fiber, and 0.1g fat.
Health Benefits:
As a good source of antioxidants and fiber, oranges may cut the risk of heart disease.
Being a rich source of citric acid and citrates, oranges may help prevent kidney stone formation.
Eating whole oranges is generally healthier than drinking orange juice. Fruit juices tend to be high in sugar, and not as filling as whole fruit.
Note: Some people are allergic to oranges, and their acidity may increase symptoms of heartburn.
Recipe
Orange Earl Grey Tea
Get a little pick-me-up with this orange-infused Earl Grey iced tea. Tea is rich in a class of antioxidants called flavonoids that may help reduce your risk of Alzheimer's and diabetes, plus help you have healthier teeth and gums and stronger bones. You can help preserve the flavonoids in iced tea by adding something acidic—like the orange juice in this recipe.
1/4 cup loose Earl Grey tea, or 12 Earl Grey tea bags
Peel of 1 orange, plus orange wedges for garnish
4 cups boiling water
3/4 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed recommended)
1/2 cup raw honey (1/4c sugar as a substitute)
4 cups cold water
Steep loose tea (or tea bags) and orange peel in boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes.
Strain the tea (or remove tea bags and orange peel) and pour into a large pitcher and add honey while still warm. Stir in orange juice. Add cold water. Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. Serve over ice with orange wedges.
More recipes:
Magical Applications for Oranges
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| Bitter Orange (Neroli fruit) |
"The high-energy scent of oranges is said to communicate the joy of angels to human beings. Orange peel is great for embodying the Sun in a mixture, whether potpourri, tea, sachet, charm, etc. Like the Sun, orange peel lifts those who are down, helps the confused find direction, and gives new life to spiritual yearnings." ~Alchemy Works
Neroli Oil: an essential oil produced from the blossom of the bitter orange tree . Its scent is sweet, honeyed, and somewhat metallic with green and spicy facets. Orange blossom is also extracted from the same blossom and both extracts are extensively used in perfumery. Orange blossom can be described as smelling sweeter, warmer and more floral than neroli. The difference between how neroli and orange blossom smell and why they are referred to with different names, is a result of the process of extraction that is used to obtain the oil from the blooms. Neroli is extracted by steam distillation and orange blossom is extracted via a process of enfleurage.
Neroli correspondences: Joy, happiness, self-purification, and transformation. Also used in some sex-magic rites.
Meditation Time
Here is your weekly meditation video. This week, it's Loreena Mckennitt's "The Mystic's Dream".
Relax and get situated. Enjoy!
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