Faeries; Their also known as-->

Here are other names for the Faerie as seen in literature, as well as common names from around the world.

Fays - early form of the word
Fair Family/Fair Folk - Welsh nickname
Farisees/Pharisees - Suffolk nickname
Fary - Northumberland nickname
Fees - Upper Brittany nickname
Feriers/Ferishers - another Suffolk nickname
Frairies - Norfolk and Suffolk version
Good Neighbors - Scottish and Irish nickname
Good People - Irish reference to the Sidhe
The Green Children - Faerie reference in medieval literature
Greencoaties - Lincolnshire Fen version
Greenies - Lancashire nickname
The Grey Neighbors - Shetland nickname for the Trows
Henkies - Orkney and Shetland nickname for Trows
Klippe - Forfarshire nickname
Li'l Fellas - Manx nickname
The Old People - Cornish nickname
People of Peace - Irish reference to the Sidhe
Pigsies/Piskies - Cornwall variations of Pixies
Sith/Si - Gaelic variations of Sidhe
Sleigh Beggey - Manx language version of Little Folk
The Small People of Cornwall - Cornwall variation
Still-Folk - Scottish Highland version
Themselves/They/Them that's in it - Manx replacements for "Faerie"
Verry Volk - Gower (Wales) nickname
Wee Folk - Scottish and Irish nickname

Did you know that the difference between Angel wings and Faerie wings are;

Angels wings are like birds, and Faeries are like butterflies...

Faeries favorite plants

Hi All, With springs speedy approach..--> OK I am a optimist! But I have new growth on all my native trees here so that is a sure sign.. that spring approachs..

I thought this blog on the Fae's favorite plants could ad those who would like to start a fairy garden this year or just add a few faerie lures to their garden.

Sparkles

Bee

Foxglove

Name is derived from "Little Folks' Glove". Florets are worn by Faeries as hats and gloves.

Primroses

Make the invisible visible. Eating them lets you see Faeries. If one touches a Faerie rock with the correct number of primroses in a posy, the way to faerieland and Faerie gifts is made clear. The wrong number means certain doom.

Ragwort

Used as makeshift horses by the Faerie.

Wild Thyme

Part of a recipe for a brew to make one see the Faeries. The tops of the Wild Thyme must be gathered near the side of a Faerie hill.

Cowslips

These are loved and protected by the Faeries. They help one to find hidden Faerie gold.

Pansies

the flower that was used as a love potion by Oberon, a Faerie king thought to have been invented by Shakespeare.

Bluebell

One who hears a bluebell ring will soon die. A field of bluebells is especially dangerous, as it is intricately interwoven with Faerie enchantments.

Clover

A four-leafed one may be used to break a Faerie spell.

St. John's Wort

Has a calming effect, used when stress is overwhelming. Helps break spells as well.

Hazel

Celtic legend says it is the receptacle of knowledge; the hazelnut is a symbol of fertility in England.

White Oak Bark

Cleanses and tones entire alimentary canal (tract that food passes through from ingestion to elimination), excellent astringent. Good for external and internal hemorrhage - bleeding in stomach, lungs, rectum.

Rowan

Protects against bad spirits. Used in butter churns so that the butter would not be overlooked by Faeries. Bewitched horses may be controlled by a rowan whip. Druids used rowan wood for fires with which they called up spirits whom could be forced to answer questions when rowan berries were spread over the flayed hides of bulls.

Buckthorn

Made from bark, aids liver congestion, helps to carry blood and liver toxins out of the body. Good for gall stones, lead poisoning.

Oak

Oakmen are created when a felled oak stump sends up shoots. One should never take food offered by them since it is poisonous.

Willow

At night they uproot themselves and stalk travelers, muttering at them.

Elder

Sometimes is a witch disguised as a tree. Never lay a baby in an elder wood cradle or the Faeries will pinch them so they bruise. Burning elder wood is dangerous since it invites the Devil.

Birch

If the spirit of the birch tree (The One With the White Hand) touches a head it leaves a white mark and the person turns insane. If it touches a heart, the person will die.

Alder

Protected by water spirits.

Apple

To ensure good harvests, leave the last apple of your crop for the Apple-Tree-Man.

Ash

Druids wands were made of ash twigs. It also has healing properties. Weak-limbed children were passed through split ash trees which were then bound up. If the tree grew straight, the child would as well. Also may be used as a substitute for Rowan.

Toadstools

Some have poisonous hallucinogenic properties. The Vikings ate it and gain their reputations as berkerkers. In Celtic lore, they are among the food of the gods, as with many red plants. Some toadstools associated with the Faerie are Fly Agaric, Yellow Fairy Club, Slender Elf Cap, Dune Pixie-Hood, and Dryad's Saddle.

Fairy Ring Mushroom

Marks the boundaries of Faerie rings.

TIP;

Roses

Roses seem to attract the wee ones in a powerful way. If you wear rose oil when seeking the Fae Folk, they will be drawn to you despite their wish. A rose water preparation can be made to bathe in before doing any rite of the Fairy Tradition. It is traditionally made by taking 21 measures of rose petals and steeping them in a copper kettle with a lid. They should be left to soak for the space of full moon to full moon. This rose water can be used to scent the body and hair and as "holy water" in works of Faerie Magic.

The Rules For Being Human

When we were born, we didn't come with an owner's manual; These guidelines make life work better.

1.You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it's the only thing you are sure to keep for the rest of your life.

2.You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called "Life on Planet Earth". Every person or incident is the Universal Teacher.

3.There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of experimentation. "Failures" are as much a part of the process as "success."

4. A lesson is repeated until learned. It is presented to you in various forms until you learn it -- then you can go on to the next lesson.

5.If you don't learn easy lessons, they get harder. External problems are a precise reflection of your internal state. When you clear inner obstructions, your outside world changes. Pain is how the universe gets your attention.

6.You will know you've learned a lesson when your actions change. Wisdom is practice. A little of something is better than a lot of nothing.

7."There" is no better than "here". When your "there" becomes a "here" you will simply obtain another "there" that again looks better than "here."

8.Others are only mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another unless it reflects something you love or hate in yourself.

9.Your life is up to you. Life provides the canvas; you do the painting. Take charge of your life -- or someone else will.

10.You always get what you want. Your subconscious rightfully determines what energies, experiences, and people you attract -- therefore, the only foolproof way to know what you want is to see what you have. There are no victims, only students.

11.There is no right or wrong, but there are consequences. Moralizing doesn't help. Judgments only hold the patterns in place. Just do your best.

12.Your answers lie inside you. Children need guidance from others; as we mature, we trust our hearts, where the Laws of Spirit are written. You know more than you have heard or read or been told. All you need to do is to look, listen, and trust.

13.You will forget all this.

14.You can remember any time you wish.

**Auther unknown**

Burns NIght Poems

To A Mouse.

Wee sleekit, cow'rin, tim'rous beastie,O, what a panic's in thy breastie!Thou need na start awa sae hasty,Wi bickering brattle!I wad be laith to rin an chase thee,Wi murdering pattle!

I'm truly sorry man's dominionHas broken Nature's social union,An justifies that ill opinion,Which makes thee startleAt me, thy poor, earth-born companion.An fellow mortal!

I doubt na, whyles, but thou may thieve:What then? poor beastie, thou maun live!A daimen icker in a thrave'S a sma request;I'll get a blessin wi the lave,An never miss't!

Thy wee-bit housie, too, in ruin!Its silly wa's the win's are strewin!An naething, now, to big a new ane,O foggage green!An bleak December's win's ensuin.Baith snell an keen!

Thou saw the fields laid bare an waste,An weary winter comin fast.An cozie here, beneath the blast,Thou thought to dwell,Till crash! the cruel coulter pastOut thro thy cell.

That wee bit heap o leaves an stibble,Has cost thee monie a weary nibble!Now thou's turn'd out, for a' thy trouble.But house or hald,To thole the winter's sleety dribble,An cranreuch cauld!

But Mousie, thou art no thy lane,In proving foresight may be vain:The best-laid schemes o mice an menGang aft agley,An lea'e us nought but grief an pain,For promis'd joy!

Still thou art blest, compar'd wi me!The present only toucheth thee:But och! I backward cast my e'e,On prospects drear!An forward, tho I canna see,I guess an fear!

Address to a Haggis.

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face, Great chieftain o the puddin'-race! Aboon them a' ye tak your place, Painch, tripe, or thairm: Weel are ye wordy of a grace As lang's my arm.

The groaning trencher there ye fill, Your hurdies like a distant hill, Your pin wad help to mend a mill In time o need, While thro your pores the dews distil Like amber bead.

His knife see rustic Labour dight, An cut you up wi ready slight, Trenching your gushing entrails bright, Like onie ditch; And then, O what a glorious sight, Warm-reekin, rich!

Then, horn for horn, they stretch an strive: Deil tak the hindmost, on they drive, Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve Are bent like drums; The auld Guidman, maist like to rive, 'Bethankit' hums.

Is there that owre his French ragout, Or olio that wad staw a sow, Or fricassee wad mak her spew Wi perfect sconner, Looks down wi sneering, scornfu view On sic a dinner?

Poor devil! see him owre his trash, As feckless as a wither'd rash, His spindle shank a guid whip-lash, His nieve a nit: Thro bloody flood or field to dash, O how unfit!

But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed, The trembling earth resounds his tread, Clap in his walie nieve a blade, He'll make it whissle; An legs an arms, an heads will sned, Like taps o thrissle.

Ye Pow'rs, wha mak mankind your care, And dish them out their bill o fare, Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware That jaups in luggies: But, if ye wish her gratefu prayer, Gie her a Haggis!

Burns Night Recipe's

Hi To all, With Burns Nights approach I thought I would in a few blog entry's give a little insight about this Scottish tradition.. Here are two tradition Burns Night Recipes...

I thought they were interesting..


Bee

PS: For future referance-->Just say "NO" to Haggis !!


Cock-a-Leekie Soup.

1 boiling fowl 1-1.5 Kg (2-3lb)
1 onion, quartered
400-800g (1-2lb) leeks, cut into inch long (2-3cm) pieces, white and green kept separate
Stock from boiling fowl
1 bay leaf,
some parsley
6-12 prunes, soaked overnight (optional)
salt and pepper

Put the bird in a large pot and nearly cover with water, add herbs and salt and slowly bring to the boil. Skim, cover and simmer until tender, approximately 2 hours. Remove the bird, and allow to cool slightly. Meanwhile add the green part of the leeks to the stock and and add the prunes and continue to simmer. Cut the meat from the chicken into smallish pieces and return them to the soup, with the white part of the leeks. Simmer for a further 10 minutes. Check the seasoning and serve. Soup is generally better the next day, so if you have time, try and prepare it in advance.

* To make a Vegetable Soup, omit the boiling fowl and the stock and substitute with a vegetable stock.


"To most of the world the word haggis is synonymous with Scotland - and Burns Suppers in particular - and it's been so since Burns penned his immortal Address To A Haggis. "

Typsy Laird (sherry trifle).

1 Victoria sponge cake,

sliced 300g (3/4lb) raspberry jam

1 wine glass of sherry

2 tablespoons brandy or Drambuie

Home-made egg custard (see below)

300g (3/4lb) raspberries

2 bananas (optional)

250 ml (1/2 pint) double cream

1 tablespoon caster sugar

Toasted almonds Custard:

250 ml (1/2 pint) milk

150 ml (1/3 pint double cream

2 egg yolks

50 g caster sugar

Few drops of vanilla essence

Place the sponge in the base of a large glass bowl and spread with the raspberry jam. Mix the sherry and the brandy and sprinkle evenly over the sponge allowing it to soak in. Next add a layer of raspberries and sliced bananas.

*To make the custard, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla essence until pale and creamy. Heat the milk and cream together in a saucepan until boiling point then stir into the egg mixture. Once it is well blended, return to the pan and stir continuously over a low heat until the custard thickens. Pour into a dish and allow to cool. When quite cool, pour the custard over the layer of fruit, spreading evenly. Next whip the double cream, add sugar to sweeten and spoon on top of custard. Decorate with toasted almonds.
Serves 6-8.

Burns Night

Burns Night January 25

Robert Burns ( 25 January 1759–21 July 1796) (also known as Rabbie Burns, Scotland's favourite son, the Ploughman Poet, the Bard of Ayrshire and in Scotland as simply The Bard) was a poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best-known of the poets who have written in the Scots language although much of his writing is also in English and a 'light' Scots dialect, accessible to an audience beyond Scotland. He also wrote in standard English, and in these pieces, his political or civil commentary is often at its most blunt.
He is regarded as a pioneer of the Romantic movement and after his death became an important source of inspiration to the founders of both liberalism and socialism. A cultural icon in Scotland and among Scots who have relocated to other parts of the world (the Scottish Diaspora), celebration of his life and work became almost a national charismatic culture during the 19th and 20th centuries, and his influence has long been strong on Scottish literature.
As well as making original compositions, Burns also collected folk songs from across Scotland, often revising or adapting them. His poem (and song) Auld Lang Syne is often sung at Hogmanay (New Year), and Scots Wha Hae served for a long time as an unofficial national anthem of the country. Other poems and songs of Burns that remain well-known across the world today, include A Red, Red Rose, A Man's A Man for A' That, To a Louse, To a Mouse, The Battle of Sherramuir, and Ae Fond Kiss.
Burns Night, effectively a second national day, is celebrated on 25 January with Burns Supper around the world, and is still more widely observed than the official national day, Saint Andrews Day, or the proposed North American celebration Tartan Day. The format of Burns suppers has not changed since Robert's death in 1796. The basic format starts with a general welcome and announcements followed with the Selkirk Grace. Just post the grace comes the piping and cutting of the Haggis, where Robert's famous Address to Haggis is read, and the haggis is cut open. The event usually allows for people to start eating just after the haggis is presented. This is when the reading called the "immortal memory", an overview of Robert's life and work is given; the event usually concludes with the singing of Auld Lang Syne.

Burns Night Supper

Burns Suppers have been part of Scottish culture for about 200 years as a means of commemorating our best loved bard. And when Burns immortalised haggis in verse he created a central link that is maintained to this day. 25th of January
The ritual was started by close friends of Burns a few years after his death in 1796 as a tribute to his memory. The basic format for the evening has remained unchanged since that time and begins when the chairman invites the company to receive the haggis.

THE FORMAT FOR A BURNS SUPPER
Chairperson's opening address A few welcoming words start the evening and the meal commences with the Selkirk Grace.The company are asked to stand to receive the haggis. A piper then leads the chef, carrying the haggis to the top table, while the guests accompany them with a slow handclap. The chairman or invited guest then recites Burns' famous poem To a Haggis, with great enthusiasm. When he reaches the line 'an cut you up wi' ready slight', he cuts open the haggis with a sharp knife.It's customary for the company to applaud the speaker then stand and toast the haggis with a glass of whisky. The company will then dine.

A typical Bill o' Fare would be:

Cock- O- Leekie- Soup

Haggis warm Reeking rich wi' Champit Tattis Bashed Neeps

Tyspy Laird (sherry trifle )

A Tassie o' Coffee

The Immortal MemoryOne of the central features of the evening. An invited guest is asked to give a short speech on Burns. There are many different types of Immortal Memory speeches, from light-hearted to literary, but the aim is the same - to outline the greatness and relevance of the poet today.Toast To The LassesThe main speech is followed by a more light-hearted address to the women in the audience. Originally this was a thank you to the ladies for preparing the food and a time to toast the 'lasses' in Burns' life. The tone should be witty, but never offensive, and should always end on a concilliatory note.ResponseThe turn of the lasses to detail men's foibles. Again, should be humorous but not insulting.Poem and SongsOnce the speeches are complete the evening continues with songs and poems. These should be a good variety to fully show the different moods of Burns muse. Favourites for recitations are Tam O' Shanter, Address to the Unco Guid, To A Mouse and Holy Willie's Prayer.The evening will culminate with the company standing, linking hands and singing Auld Lang Syne to conclude the programme

2nd Moon of the Celtic Year

· 2nd Moon of the Celtic Year - (Jan 22 - Feb 18)
· Latin name: Rowan/American Mountain Ash - sorbus Americana; Rowan/European Mountain Ash - sorbus aucuparia
· Celtic name: Luis (pronounced: loush)
· Folk or Common names: Mountain Ash, Ran Tree, Witchwood Tree, Quickbeam, The Witch or Witch Wand Tree, Whispering Tree, Sorb-Apple, Service Tree
· Parts Used: Wood, berries. Caution: do not eat the seeds
· Herbal usage: Rowan bark has astringent qualities and can be used as a decoction for helping cure irritable bowels. Rowan berries can be made into a juice which can be used as a laxative. The berries are also an important food for grouse, cedar waxwings, grosbeaks and other hungry birds.

· Magical History & Associations: The bird associated with the month of Rowan is the duck. The Druid Dhubh (Blackbird) also has an association with the Rowan tree since Blackbirds are fond of Rowan berries. Since each Rowan berry carries a minute pentagram, eating these berries is said to give the blackbird the ability to connect us with his healing song to the balancing and regenerative powers of the Otherworld and the Unconscious. The Celtic symbol of the month of Rowan is the Green Dragon. The color is red, and the gemstone is yellow chrysolite or the ruby. The Rowan is a Masculine herb that is associated with the element of fire, and is a tree of the sun and the planet Uranus. The tree is sacred to the deities of Rowan, Thor and Brighid (triple goddess of inspiration, healing and smith craft). Rowan is also sacred to Oeagrus (father of Orpheus, who belonged to the sorb-apple cult) and to the White Goddess Aphrodite; Akka/Mader-Akka/Rauni (Finnish goddess of the harvest and of female sexuality); and the river goddess Halys/Alys/Elis (Queen of the Eleusine Islands). Irish Druids held Rowan trees sacred like Oaks and sometimes called it the 'Tree of Life'. Rowan wood is one of the nine traditional fire woods to be added to the Belfire that is burned at Beltane. In folklore the Rowan is regarded as the godmother of milk cows. When a calf is due to be named, the farmer goes to the wood before daybreak to cut a Rowan branch with a piece of copper just as the sun rises. He smacks the calf on the back with it and calls it by its name. After that he tethers it to the cowshed door, decorated with white ribbons and eggshells, and the calf stays safe and well. The Rowan is a favorite tree of the Otherkin. A Slavic tree spirit known as Musail, the forest tsar, king of the forest spirits, is associated with the Rowan tree. Rowan also has a vampiric association since it is, along with Garlic and Hawthorn, one of the most popular herbal vampire repellents.
· Magical usage: The month of Rowan is a good time to do initiations, especially during Imbolc. The Rowan has applications in magic done for divination, astral work, strength, protection, initiation, healing, psychic energies, working with spirits of the dead, psychic powers, personal power, and success. Uses of Rowan in protective magic include carrying Rowan twigs on sea voyages to protect the ship from storms. A Rowan can be planted near a new house to protect it from lightning and evil influences. Walking sticks made of Rowan will protect there user from harm. A charm made of two small twigs of Rowan wood tied together to form a cross using red thread or yarn can be carried to protect against bad spirits. Its branches were used by Norsemen as rune-staves upon which to carve runes of protection. The Celts believed that no witches or evil spirits could cross a door over which a branch of Rowan had been nailed. In some legends, the Rowan has also been called the whispering tree because it has secrets to tell to those who will listen. Rowans also can be planted on graves to prevent the haunting of the place by the dead. In Ireland, a Rowan stake was sometimes hammered through a corpse to immobilize the spirit. In ancient Ireland, the Druids of opposing forces would kindle a fire of Rowan and say an incantation over it to summon spirits to take part in the battle. Should you happen upon a flourishing Rowan which is most bountifully hung with cluster upon cluster of delicate red berries, then you may be sure that some saintly soul lies buried close by. Rowan is often called The Wizard Tree or The Witch Tree, partly because Rowan berries have a small pentagram at the point where they are joined to the stalk. Indeed, Rowan berries were often regarded as magical and were the food of the Tuatha De Danaan. As attractive as Rowan is to the Fey, Rowan wood is often used in butter churns so that the butter would not be overlooked by evil Faeries. In Scotland, fires made from rowan wood were used to protect the cattle against those same type of evil fairy spirits, and it is said that 'Bewitched' horses may be controlled by a Rowan whip. Witch-wands for divining metal are often made of Rowan wood, and Rowan branches may be used to dowse for water or can be made into wands. The best time to harvest a Rowan branch for a wand or staff is at Beltane. Remember to ask the tree if it will allow you to take a branch and be sure to leave the tree an offering of thanks when you are done.

Nature Lesson

Hi To All, I thought I would blog this today. While walking in my woods I sat down for a rest right next to the trunk of one of my Hemlock trees. I spyed a bunch of these Douglas FIR cones that had been dinner for one of my resident squirrels a "Beechly Ground Squirrel" to be exact. ( The squirrel is bringing them from the top of the Fir tree to the top of the Hemlock tree to have the feast.) He or she (She I am presuming?) peals the seed fans from the cone and removes the seed leaving piles of the fans behind..

Thus I have posted the before and after picture of the cone.. Well done I would say!

Sparkles

Bee

Rowans Folklore

Hi to all, With the second Moon of the Celtic year approaching I found interesting this folklore about the Rowan tree. Thought you all might enjoy the read..

Many Sparkles

Bee

Mythology and Folklore of the Rowan


The Rowans mythic roots go back to classical times. Greek mythology tells of how Hebe the goddess of youth, dispensed rejuvenating ambrosia to the gods from her magical chalice. When, through carelessness, she lost this cup to demons, the gods sent an eagle to recover the cup. The feathers and drops of blood which the eagle shed in the ensuing fight with the demons fell to earth, where each of them turned into a rowan tree. Hence the rowan derived the shape of its leaves from the eagle's feathers and the appearance of its berries from the droplets of blood.
The rowan is also prominent in Norse mythology as the tree from which the first woman was made, (the first man being made from the ash tree). It was said to have saved the life of the god Thor by bending over a fast flowing river in the Underworld in which Thor was being swept away, and helping him back to the shore. Rowan was furthermore the prescribed wood on which runes were inscribed to make rune staves.
In the British Isles the rowan has a long and still popular history in folklore as a tree which protects against witchcraft and enchantment. The physical characteristics of the tree may have contributed to its protective reputation, including the tiny five pointed star or pentagram on each berry opposite its stalk (the pentagram being an ancient protective symbol). The colour red was deemed to be the best protection against enchantment, and so the rowan's vibrant display of berries in autumn may have further contributed to its protective abilities, as suggested in the old rhyme: "Rowan tree and red thread / make the witches tine (meaning 'to lose') their speed". The rowan was also denoted as a tree of the Goddess or a Faerie tree by virtue (like the hawthorn and elder) of its white flowers.
There are several recurring themes of protection offered by the rowan. The tree itself was said to afford protection to the dwelling by which it grew, pieces of the tree were carried by people for personal protection from witchcraft, and sprigs or pieces of rowan were used to protect especially cows and their dairy produce from enchantment. Thus we find documented instances as late as the latter half of the twentieth century of people being warned against removing or damaging the rowan tree growing in their newly acquired garden in the Scottish Highlands and Ireland. On the Isle of Man crosses made from rowan twigs without the use of a knife were worn by people and fastened to cattle, or hung inside over the lintel on May Eve each year. From Scotland to Cornwall similar equal-armed crosses made from rowan twigs and bound with red thread were sewn into the lining of coats or carried in pockets. Other permutations of the use of rowan's protective abilities are many and widespread. In Scandinavia, rowan trees found growing not in the ground but out of some inaccessible cleft in a rock, or out of crevasses in other trees' trunks or boughs, possessed an even more powerful magic, and such trees were known as 'flying rowan'.
Rowan has had a wide range of popular folk names, the most well-know being mountain ash. Its old Gaelic name from the ancient Ogham script was Luis from which the place name Ardlui on Loch Lomond may have been derived. The more common Scots Gaelic name is caorunn (pronounced choroon, the ch as in loch), which crops up in numerous Highland place names such as Beinn Chaorunn in Inverness-shire and Loch a'chaorun in Easter Ross. Rowan was also the clan badge of the Malcolms and McLachlans. There were strong taboos in the Highlands against the use of any parts of the tree save the berries, except for ritual purposes. For example a Gaelic threshing tool made of rowan and called a buaitean was used on grain meant for rituals and celebrations. The strength of these taboos did not apply in other parts of Britain it seems, though there were sometimes rituals and timings to be observed in harvesting the rowan's gifts (for example the rule against using knives to cut the wood, mentioned above).
The rowan's wood is strong and resilient, making excellent walking sticks, and is suitable for carving. It was often used for tool handles, and spindles and spinning wheels were traditionally made of rowan wood. Druids used the bark and berries to dye the garments worn during lunar ceremonies black, and the bark was also used in the tanning process. Rowan twigs were used for divining, particularly for metals.
The berries can be made into or added to a variety of alcoholic drinks, and different Celtic peoples each seem to have had their favourites. As well as the popular wine still made in the Highlands, the Scots made a strong spirit from the berries, the Welsh brewed an ale, the Irish used them to flavour Mead, and even a cider can be made from them. Today rowan berry jelly is still made in Scotland and is traditionally eaten with game.

My Minions

Hi all, Well I Finally got a few pictures that you can actually see. These puppies are so fast eveytime I tryed to take their photo they move, and then there you are --- blurry pictures.. So I thought to myself I am smarter than them--> LOL

(Yes they have drove me to talking to myself, and answering.. ) SO I waited until they were both really tired they I struck.:-) so here are some clear pictures..

Sparkles

Bee

Our New Addition

Hi To all, Just had to post a picture of my new addition, Her call name is Kayla. She is 14 weeks old. She is the companion to our Little Sonny who of late is acting like a real big boy. He has been with us about 6 weeks and is potty trained and is learning all the bog boy stuff around Ravenwood. He spied his first deer, raccoons and knows all the birds by heart. He has dominated the male squirrel who just awoke from his winter nap. He patrols our fenced perimeter regularly. He is such a happy boy now Kayla is here. He is teaching her all the ropes around here even potty training her.. Anyway my Aussie pair are so wonderful. She is just lovely and what Sweet personality. My friend Kim called her angel eyes, and she truly has them.. I really think she needs a proper fairy name for her registration. So any and all suggestions are welcome

Sparkles and puppy kiss's

Bee

PS; raw hide chew donations are welcome :-)

HOPPY NEW YEAR

Robert Burns: AULD LANG SYNE (Scottish Poet )

A song of friendship and salutation recognised across the English-speaking world, the Burns song we know and love to sing on Burns's Night and at New Year was by no means the first of its kind. Burns claimed to have transcribed it `from an old man's singing', but a similar `Auld Lang Syne' tune was actually printed circa 1700 and is therefore certain to be much older. The timeless Burns gem still treasured to this day .

CHORUS

For auld syne, my dear, [old long ago]
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to min'?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days o' lang syne?
We twa hae run about the braes, [hillsides]
And pou'd the gowans fine; [pulled/daisies]
But we've wander'd mony a weary foot,
Sin auld lang syne.
We twa hae paidl't i' the burn, [waded/stream]
Frae morning sun till dine, [noon/dinner-time]
But seas between us braid hae roar'd [broad]
Sin auld lang syne.
And there's a hand, my trusty fiere,
And gie's a hand o' thine,
And we'll tak a right guid willie-waught, [goodwill drink]
For auld lang syne.
And surely ye'll be your pint-stowp, [pay for]
And surely I'll be mine;
And we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne.

Robert Burns

Robert Burns was born at Alloway, near Ayr, on January 25, 1759. His father William was a gardener to the Provost of Ayr. Robert was educated briefly at John Murdoch's school in Alloway and later in Ayr.
Family financial worries forced Burns to work as a farm labourer, and it was while thus occupied that he met his first love, Nelly Kirkpatrick. She inspired him to try his hand at poetry, a song entitled "O, once I lov'd a bonnie lass", set to the tune of a traditional reel.
Burns worked at a succession of labouring jobs, including flax dressing, and began writing poetry regularly. When his father died in 1784, Burns and his brother Gilbert rented a farm near Mauchline.
Burns spread his affections freely, and the next decade saw 8 illegitimate children born to him through 5 different women. One of these, Jean Armour, became Mrs. Burns in 1788.
The first published work of poetry by Robert Burns was "Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect" which saw the light of day on 31 July 1786. This collection of verse contained many of Burn's best works, including "To a Mouse", and "The Holy Fair".
The success of "Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect" convinced Burns to abandon plans to emigrate to Jamaica. Buoyed by his burgeoning reputation as an unschooled "ploughman poet", Burns moved to Edinburgh and became part of the thriving cultural scene there.
He was unable to find a patron to support his writing, but publisher James Johnson gave him work editing a collection of Scottish folk songs. This work, titled "The Scots Musical Museum", was published in 5 volumes over sixteen years. Burns himself contributed over 150 songs, including "Auld Lang Syne", a reworking of an earlier folk song of unknown origin.
Burns and his wife Jean moved to Mauchline, where in 1790 he produced "Tam o' Shanter", which was first published merely as an accompaniment to an illustration of Alloway Kirk, in a volume of "Antiquities of Scotland". The growing Burns family moved again, this time to Dumfries.
Burns contributed 114 songs to "A Select Collection Of Scottish Airs" by George Thomson, but he received very little payment for his efforts. In 1795, Burns was inspired by the events of the French Revolution to write "For a' that and a' that", his cry for human equality.
One year later, on July 21, 1796, Burns was dead of rheumatic fever. He was buried in the churchyard of St. Michael's in Dumfries, even as his wife Jean was in childbirth with their ninth child.
Robert Burns gained more fame after his death than he ever did during his lifetime. Many of his songs and poems have become international favourites - even among those who find his use of Scottish lowland dialect difficult to decipher.