Feb-u-weary....and some announcements....
Soooo.....I didnt send a February or Imbolc newsletter. I had
planned on sending a combo newsletter to cover both. February, however,
turned out to be a very intense month, full of bad news and bad luck.
Money was short, plans were changed, people were getting hurt or sick,
timing was off, and every day there was a fresh coat of snow to shovel
(there wasnt but it seemed like it). I was getting afraid
to answer the phone because of all the bad news.
But here we are in March. Money is a little better, plans are being
made, people are healing, timing is more on track, and now we are dealing
with rain and mud. There has been more sunshine so my winter blues are
melting away so I can be productive once again. The only negative so
far is that the credit card companies are playing games with my credit,
anyone know a good spell to get the banks to lower my interest rates?
Or a good banishing debt spell? My efforts to make more money havent
panned out yet and the lottery plan isnt working either : )
In this newsletter youll find a rant about Borders and digital
books. I bought my mom some lemon verbena and we are planning to use
that oil in our Brigit candle. Since I am unfamiliar with lemon verbena,
I thought Id write about that herb this month so I could learn
more about it. But first, some announcements.
I will be at the Holistic Show at Gibraltar Trade Center in Mt. Clemens
on March 11, 12, & 13, (so far the weather looks like it will
cooperate). The hours are slightly different this time, Saturday
is 10 to 6 (we usually go to 8). I hope to be there and setting up on
Friday by 2ish. Friday goes to 9 and Sunday is 10 to 6. Come on out
and see all the cool stuff I and other vendors have to offer, there
are some great readers and healers at these shows too. I have just made
16 new pendulums last week, it will take some time for me to get them
online so youll have to come to the show to see them. If you are
a Facebook fan of Infinite Flame, I have posted a pic of them there
too.
Alicia and I will be at a Rock Swap in Taylor, this is the same one
we have done for the last few years. We both will have jewelry and
the stuff we have collected on our trips to the U.P. for sale at this
event. If you are into stones and crystals, you will like this show.
It is free to attend but get there early as some people pack up before
the show is over. Be sure to check out djar Meteorites at this
show, not only because he has awesome meteorites for sale but also
because I am creating his website : )
The March online special is a free gift with every order. When you
place an order through Infiniteflame.com, we will include something
extra for free as a thank you. This is for purchases made online only
and valid until March 31, 2011.
Save the Bookstores!
I am extremely sad to hear about the problems Borders has been going
through. I love Borders. This most likely is because it was the first
big book store I ever went to. Back when I was a teenager growing
up in Brighton, I loved books and book stores. We only had a small
book store in Brighton at the time so the selection was limited (and
there was no internet available in the early 80s). When
my brother went to U of M in Ann Arbor, we began to spend more time
in Ann Arbor and got to explore the city. That is where I discovered
Borders Book Store. I was like a kid in a candy store. It was HUGE,
at least in comparison to what Brighton had. This was the first place
I found books on witchcraft and magick, and to my utter delight -
tarot cards. I bought my first deck, The Mythic Tarot, from this Borders.
Since that time, I have always preferred Borders over any other chain.
When I lived in Northville, there was a Barnes and Noble that was closer
but I would drive to the Novi Borders to get my books. I love spending
hours in there, seeing whats new and checking out my favorite
sections of books. I was disappointed when they first added the video
section because that meant less books. I have their rewards card and
get their emails to keep me up on new releases. If I see an interesting
book online or even one offered from the book club I belong to, One
Spirit, I usually go into the Borders to physically flip through and
see if I really want it. Most times I buy it from Borders, although
I will confess usually with a coupon.
And that brings me to the point. If you love going into a book store
so you can physically flip through a book to check it out, then you
should never order a book from Amazon. Amazon is what is killing
not only Borders but all book stores. The reason is that
your local book store has to pay rent and employees so they cannot match
the price offered by Amazon. Yes I know money is tight and we are all
looking to save money. But we also need to look beyond today and decide
if we want to always have the luxury of walking into a book store. And
book stores employ more people than Amazon does, so you are supporting
your community and keeping your neighbors employed. Every book purchased
on Amazon is a nail in book stores coffin.
I have purchased on Amazon. Once. I purchased some sandalwood essential
oil right after the price skyrocketed. This was the only place that
offered the oil at a reasonable price. It was a brand I often purchase
so I was supporting the brand of oil, but not my local store. I have
compared prices on Amazon, but that has been my only purchase.
If you love book stores then I urge you to buy at least one book
there this month. It doesnt have to be Borders (but remember
they are Michigan based, Barnes and Noble is not). It can be any
book store. Your small independent stores are hurting too. Support these
places that allow you to get lost in a sea of books. And support the
form of books that has been around for centuries.
At the risk of sounding like an old fogey, I dont get digital
books. When I want to read in bed, I dont want some digital screen
glaring at me. I dont want to worry whether I have enough battery
left to finish this chapter. An e-book reader is a cold, metal and glass,
electromagnetic thing. A paper book is warm, the pages have texture,
and often has a pleasing scent. A paper book feeds several senses at
once, a digital book cant do that. I can take a paper book anywhere
and be able to read it at any time. A digital book has to be turned
on and recharged occasionally. I can loan out a paper book, share it
with friends.
I do see some advantages. Yes, it doesnt need paper so trees
are saved, altho recycling paper does that too. You dont have
to find room to store all the books either, so you wont need book
shelves, so now we have the book shelf makers unemployed....so not so
much an advantage to them. The best use of digital books I can see is
for schools. We have all heard the reports that kids today carry too
much weight in the form of school books. E-book readers would solve
this problem. Here is what I propose: every kid in school is issued
one e-book reader to use the entire time they are in school. Each year
the required books are downloaded into it. If they damage or lose the
reader, the student is required to replace it. Make them password protected
so they cannot be stolen and used by another student. This way we save
the students backs and tons of trees. The companies that produce
the books now will be in charge of creating and distributing the e-books.
Problem solved.
When I purchase a paper book, I know I can read it anytime, anywhere
I want. Think about how quickly technology changes (vhs to dvd to blu-ray,
for example). Are you sure that book you purchased to download into
your e-reader will be readable 10 years from now? Or even 5 years from
now? If an author publishes his books in digital format only, will his
works be known 50 years from now? What if Shakespeare had lived in these
times and published all his works digitally. Would future generations
be able to read his works?
I work with computers and digital equipment daily, and one thing I
have learned is that these devices are not always reliable. Bugs and
viruses can infect them, compatibility issues are a constant concern,
upgrades are not always better, it takes longer to figure out how
to do something than it does to actually do the something, and you
are dependent on having electricity available. A paper book has few
issues, as long as you keep it away from water, pets, and toddlers.
Now that Ive had my say, Im gonna clean my overflowing
book shelves as I listen to albums on my record player. Then Im
going to either watch a vhs movie or play Atari games on my TV that
still has a rabbit ear attenna. Seriously. I am slow to upgrade. This
computer is running Windows ME and my printer is from 1995. The appliances
in my house are avocado green (and still work). Gee, maybe I am
becoming an old fogey.
Lemon Verbena
Lemon verbena is an oil I have not yet used but which seems
to be making itself known to me recently. I know nothing about it except
it has a wonderful lemon scent. So I did some research and here is what
I found.
I usually start with the Latin name of the herb. For lemon verbena,
it seems there are two. My main reference for such technical info is
The Herb Society of America New Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses.
This book puts it under the genius aloysia in the family verbenaceae.
It gives the species name as "aloysia triphylla syn. lippia
citriodora". This means that the synonym (former botanical
name) is lippia citriodora. This herb has been reclassified at
some point (the book doesnt give a date). So when purchasing this
oil or herb, either species name is correct. If you see it referenced
in an older book, it will have the lippia Latin name, newer books
will show the aloysia Latin name.
It was known in Victorian times as "the lemon plant" and
is a favorite in garden rooms. The dried leaves retain the scent and
are great for potpourris. It blends well with lavender and rosemary.
Lemon verbena was once popular in perfumery but due to it being expensive
and was though to sensitize the skin to sunlight, it has fallen out
of use.
Lemon verbena is an astringent, mild sedative, insecticide, and antibacterial.
It has been used to relieve spasms of the digestive system, reduce fever,
and as a treatment for acne, boils, and cysts. Lemon Verbena tea is
a home remedy for colds and fevers. In aromatherapy it is used for nervous
and digestive problems. You can use lemon verbena in teas and to flavor
jellies, summer drinks, stuffings, salads and salad dressings. Finely
crumbled dried leaves can be added to the batters of carrot, banana,
or zucchini bread. Try adding some to cooked rice just before serving.
You can use lemon verbena in place of lemon zest in recipes.
Magickally, it is associated with air and Mercury. It
is used for happiness, love, uplifting mood, success, purification,
protection and for hex/spell breaking. Cunningham warns not to add it
to bath water, but does not say why. It seems safe for any other uses
such as burning, crushing and inhaling the scent, or putting in a custom
blend. Be aware that it may cause sensitivity to sunlight so avoid
using it on the skin.
Since I havent used this oil or herb much myself, I searched
for some recipes. I found these at
Old Fashioned Living.com.
Lemon Verbena Potpourri
You will need:
dried peel of one lemon
2 cups dried lemon verbena leaves
1 cup dried chamomile flowers
6 inch cinnamon stick, crushed
1 cup dried calendula petals
1 tsp. orris root powder
2-3 drops lemon verbena essential oil (optional)
Dry the lemon peel by scraping it off the lemon with a vegetable peeler,
spread on paper and dry in a warm place for about 2 weeks, until crisp.
Mix all the ingredients together. Seal in a tin and put in a warm place
for about 2-3 weeks, shaking occasionally. Use to scent a room, or for
sachets. Add more essential oil as the smell fades. Adapted from Kitchen
and Herb Gardener by Richard Bird and Jessica Houdret .
Lemon Rose Tea
Ingredients:
1/2 cup torn lemon verbena leaves
1/4 cup rose hips
Honey
Place 4 cups of water in a teakettle or medium saucepan and bring to
a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the lemon verbena and rose
hips. Remove from the heat and steep for about 15 minutes. Return to
the heat and simmer for 1 minute. Pour into individual tea cups or mugs,
sweeten with honey and serve.
Until next time,
~~~~Rhiannon Rose @--^--