#Grape Planting Methods

[jpitha]

But what if Humans are Deathworlders because we have a Liver and Kidneys? Two organs specifically designed to remove or convert toxins.

Mary and S'vren walk around Little Earth after the evening meal. Mary walks at a careful steady pace to be nice to S'vren, and tries not to just plow ahead so they can talk. Mary explains the Liver and Kidneys to S'vren after she complains that Human food looks delicious, but is all deadly.

S'vren: "Wait what? You have an organ that removes toxins from things you consume?"

Mary: "Two actually. The liver converts toxins we consume into safe(er) compounds we can either metabolize or pass through the kidneys who filter our blood."

S'vren: "So all your Deathworld plants have toxins in them..."

Mary slightly miffed: "Not all of them, but many. But yes, they have toxins to stop other things in nature from eating them."

S'vren: "But you can eat them just fine."

Mary: "Yeah, because of the liver and kidneys...and methods of preparation that reduce the toxins. Even humans shouldn't eat raw cassava."

S'vren stops: "Why, what happens if you eat raw cassava?"

Mary: "Cyanide poisoning, I think. It's not pleasant."

S'vren continues, frantic: "If I eat grapes I will die. If I eat POTATOES - something that your history says was integral to the survival of your species on multiple occasions - I. will. die. If I eat chocolate - something you yourself have waxed poetic to ME on multiple occasions about - I. Will. Die."

Mary: "Wait, you'll die if you eat chocolate?"

S'vren: "IT'S FULL OF TOXINS"

Mary: "Huh. I never knew."

S'vren: "It's because instead of not eating them your bodies evolved a complex mechanism to just..not care and eat them anyway!!"

Mary shrugging: "Gotta eat something I guess."

[transgenderer]

Over the years, local farmers have perfected an almost foolproof method for protecting the grapes. The young plant is put in the ground after the farmer scrapes out a wide, shallow hole in the volcanic soil. The young vine is placed into this human-made depression. Then, larger volcanic stones are balanced around the wind-facing edge of the hole, creating a low, semicircular barrier. The height of the makeshift wall and the depth of the hole are important. The young vine still has to be able to soak in the sunshine without being hampered by shadows, and the hole has to be shallow enough that the plant is still getting nutrients and trapped water from the volcanic soil.

Each Lanzarote vineyard has thousands of these holes and walls, each holding a single vine.

[gothhabiba]

Fellah Cultivation Methods and Crops (1840-1914)

At the end of Ottoman rule, 75% of land was devoted to growing grains. A two-field system was common, with wheat and barley grown as winter crops on one half while the other half had a summer dew crop of sesame and Indian millet. The following season, the second half had the winter crop with the first half left fallow (Atran, 1986: 277). Other crops grown included dura, beans, fenugreek, and chickpeas, along with olives, grapes, cotton and oranges. Fallowing was widely used, allowing grazing cattle to feed on the fallow lands. The extensive system was not geared towards profit making but subsistence. The Ottoman government tried to outlaw fallowing by repossessing untilled land, but was largely unsuccessful (Atran, 1986: 278). Terracing was practiced in the hills with olive trees grown everywhere used as a source of oil and soap. By 1910 citrus groves covered 3,000 hectares. Vegetables were grown where irrigation was possible. The fellah [peasants] used homemade implements – a light nail plow, a sickle, a threshing board and two sieves [...].

Beginning with the 1858 Land Code, the Ottoman government, in an attempt to extract more taxes from the Fellaheen, tried to institute policies to transform land ownership. The goal was effectively to undermine «the system of collective holding and to institute an individual land-holding system» (Atran, 1986: 274). The code stipulated that a village could not communally own land and that titles should be given to each individual. Moreover, non-cultivated (Musha’a [collectively held]) land could not be the property of the fellah and would belong to the state. The 1876 Land Law decreed that Mulk [Sultan-granted] land held by notables who were not providing to services to the Sultan would be seized and could be sold to Europeans. One of the most notable purchasers was Baron Rothschild, who spent an estimated 10 million pounds sterling on land purchases, the construction of settlements, the establishment of plantations and manufacturing plants producing silk, glass, wine and water. He guaranteed the Jewish settlers who came to work on these plantations a minimum income (Aharoni, 1991: 57). At the same time the World Zionist Organization (WZO) was founded in 1897 and created the Keren Kayemet fund (JNF) for land purchases two years later. With their help, Jewish-owned land increased from 25,000 dunums [square kilometers] in 1882 to 1.6 million dunums by 1941.

Throughout these changes, the situation of the peasantry grew progressively worse as the tax burden increased. Often the fellah was forced to borrow money to make ends meet and many ended up selling the titles to their land, which they continued to work on, but with reduced benefits. By the turn of the century, six families in Palestine (the effendi) owned 23% per cent of all cultivated land, while 16, 910 families owned only 6% (Awartani, 1993).

The British Mandate (1914-1948)

Following the First World War, Palestine was designated as a mandated territory to Britain to rule the country until it become ready for independence. Along with this was the provision, first enshrined in the Balfour Declaration of 1917, to secure a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine. When the British received the Mandate for Palestine, the land issue was highly contentious. This is because the Mandate included the incompatible goals of «encouraging close settlement by Jews on the land» while at the same time «ensuring that the rights and position of other sections of the population are not prejudiced».

The British put into place policies that permitted the transfer of the land to the European settlers. The first being the transfer law of 1921, which granted individual holders the right to become the private owners of their land. Another law, the rural property tax, stipulated that land not cultivated for three years could be seized by the state and «be made use of in a more efficient way» (Zu’bi, 1981: 99). [...][D]espite new policies which tightened laws regarding Jewish land acquisition after 1929, the period of the mandatory government saw widespread expansion of Jewish agricultural settlements in Palestine (Table 1). For example, from 1900 to 1927, the area owned by the Jewish sector expanded from 42,060 to 90,300 ha: an average increase of under 2,000 ha a year. While from 1932 to 1941, after the riots, the area expanded from 105,850 ha to 160,480 ha – an average annual increase of 6,000 ha.

The quality of the soils of the land purchased is debated among scholars. According to Alon Tal, an Israeli environmental historian: «Though the real estate that Arab landlords were willing to sell was largely malaria infested swamps and wastelands, new agricultural settlements soon began to dot the map of Palestine» (Tal, 2006: 4). On the other hand, «The main areas appropriated by European investors were those concentrated in the maritime plain, the most fertile area in Palestine, specializing in citrus production» (Atran, 1989: 739).

Zu’bi (1981: 99) also writes, «Under British Colonization, the land appropriated by European (Jewish) settlers was the most densely populated areas. In 1921, the transfer of 240,000 dunums in the Beisan (Galilee) area to the European sector resulted in the dispossession of 8,730 families living from this land. By 1929 it was reported, 29.4% of peasant families’ land [that is, the land of 29.4% of peasant families] was expropriated as a result of the Zionist settlement».

– 2009. Leah Temper, “Creating Facts on the Ground: Agriculture in Israel and Palestine (1882-2000),” Historia Agraria 48, pp. 75-110.

[electron-sutra]

Alcohol Traditions, 2

Before it fell to the Mask of Winters, Thornsish aperitifs were exported far and wide through the Inland Sea as luxury goods. The Red Iron Rebuke's armies burned down many of the fields which once produced Thorns' most famous aperitif wines. From the ashes, a new strange thing has arisen, a pale ghostly fungus which grows here and there among the green-white grapes planted in the death-tinged ashes. Using the same methods as used for botrytized wines made with mundane grape rot, these new grapes can be made into a crisp, nearly clear wine which glows slightly with blue ghostfire light in the dark. The wine is sweet and refreshing and has no ill effects on mortals who drink it, and has quickly become a favorite among those who can grow it; perhaps even in sad, dark places like Thorns, beautiful new things can still be found.

[blueiscoool]

New Type of Amphora Found in 4th-Century Roman Shipwreck

A new study, featured in the journal “Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences,” brings to light important discoveries on an ancient Roman shipwreck found near Mallorca, one of Spain’s Balearic Islands.

Situated only 65 meters away from a well-visited beach close to Palma, Mallorca’s capital, this shipwreck has caught the interest of many due to its preservation and interesting cargo.

A group of archaeologists and researchers conducted the study using a detailed analytical method to uncover the secrets behind the shipwreck’s origin, contents, and importance.

They used various techniques such as petrographic analysis, archaeozoology, residue analysis, and the examination of wood and plant remains to thoroughly investigate the site, according to “Archaeology” magazine.

Amphora named ‘Ses Fontanelles I’ found in the wreck

Inside the ship’s cargo area, researchers discovered a collection of ceramic objects, mainly amphorae, which were commonly used to store and move different items.

A significant discovery from the study is the recognition of a new kind of amphora, called Ses Fontanelles I, only found in this wreck. The newly identified amphora is larger and heavier than others, and it was mainly used for transporting plant oil.

The recovered amphorae from the shipwreck have painted inscriptions called tituli picti, which give important details about where the items came from, what they were, and who owned them.

These inscriptions tell us that the makers of the amphorae were Ausonius et Alunni, and they also reveal that the cargo contained fish sauce, olive oil, and wine.

During the Late Roman era, fish sauce, called liquamen flos, was a popular flavor enhancer, different from the more commonly known garum.

The analysis suggests that this fish sauce was mainly made from anchovies (Engraulis encrasicolus), with some sardines occasionally mixed in.

Materials used in the construction of cargo

Residue analysis of the amphorae showed signs of grape derivatives, possibly used to add flavor or preserve the contents. Additionally, traces of animal products were found, adding to the complexity of the cargo.

The materials used to build the ship’s hull were carefully examined. Pine was used for the main parts, while harder types of wood like juniper, olive, and laurel were used for assembly. Vine branches and other plants were used as filler and to protect the cargo during the voyage.

Based on the research, it’s likely that the ship set sail from the Cartagena area in southeastern Spain, traveling along the trade routes of the Western Mediterranean. This thought is supported by the petrographic analysis of the amphorae, which suggests a link to the Cartagena region.

By Abdul Moeed.

[absol-lutely]

As someone who’s resistant to poison and has healing moves and thus came out relatively unharmed when doing idiotic things, I present:

Astra’s pokemedicine guide!

Note that this guide is directed towards hybrids and other sentient nonhumans. Those who are -physically- human should avoid potions and revives like the plague, and should anticipate little effect from more natural solutions. Stick to ibuprofen.

Let’s start with the basic pokemart otc meds

Potions - do not drink them, spray them on your mon. Please. It is both very bad for you and also, I swear on the Wishmaker’s grace, it is the worst thing I have ever consumed in my life. Yes, I did try a potion once. In my defense, I was I think seven at the time and I thought it was grape soda. I learned immediately that it was not grape soda. All levels of potion apply to this one.

Revives - do not fucking bite them. Swallow them like a pill. It’s made for unconscious patients, there’s no reason you would be supposed to bite them. To be clear, you’ll be fine if you do, but if you’re anything like me then basically your entire mouth will go numb with all the medicines that you just released straight into it. Max revives are worse for this than normal ones, but both do this. Yes, I did this too, I was a challenging child.

Next, the less common products

Fresh water, etc. - do in fact drink this. Yes, it is spiked with meds, but not with anything that’ll hurt you, it’s mostly just painkillers. They’re more effective than straight potions purely because they don’t need to be absorbed through layers of skin/scales/feathers/fur and can make it to the bloodstream fairly quickly. Note: physically human readers won’t notice a difference between these and normal bottles of water. They won’t work on you, but they’re more expensive so you’re just wasting money if you drink these.

Bitter roots and related medicinal herbs - you will not like the bitter root. Your mon will not like the bitter root. You will not like wrestling your mon to make them swallow the bitter root. They suck. I personally make them into a horrific tea abomination because at least I can load it with sugar. Your preferred method may vary. Just make sure you ingest it in its entirety, basically anything else is fair game

Berry juice - while I’m wigged out by any straight from the shuckle, it really is just the fresh water category but fully natural. Nothing special here.

This is where I do not comment on what the ancient Hisuians did because while Snowpoint is full of old women who try to teach me, I do not have historical documentation to back up what were real medicines, what was folklore, and what is probably just dementia. As a general guide to what I’ve had stuffed in my mouth by assorted grannies: if you have Hisuian medicine, assume that it’ll taste somewhat like just eating slimy leaves but you’re definitely meant to eat it and it will do more than you think it will. If you have someone who tries to hype up their Hisuian medicine, though, that’s probably just random plants they’re trying to scam you with and it won’t do much.

Then, the berry guide

Obviously you will hate some berries. Natures do that.

Nothing’s going to hurt you, but if you use them wrong they might not do anything.

For the ones that lower the damage of attacks, I consistently see folks eat them after they get hit and they’re surprised when nothing happens. Eat them right beforehand. If you have a really bad type weakness (shoutout to Carbuncle who I had to mail far too many steel-reducing berries for his fairy/rock typing) then you can just kinda munch some throughout the day. To be clear, if you eat two, they’ll only lower the damage for any given attack as much as one berry would.

Healing berries do what they’re labeled as, no notes here

Tamato berries etc. are weird, I don’t understand effort values at all, but these won’t hurt you besides reducing those slightly

Anything that deals with stat boosts is way out of my realm of expertise, I run double team/protect/wish/flash and thus really really don’t deal with attack, defense, or speed for anything in particular.

Some berries only have documented effects on wild pokemon, how those would work with trainer mons is a question for your local professor (who probably also doesn’t know unless you live in certain versions of kanto specifically if reports are true)

Again, physically human readers will, upon eating a berry, experience the following effects: slight hunger decrease, slight vitamin increase, and tasting the flavor of the berry. Yes, those are just the effects of eating fruit in general. That’s because these don’t do anything special for those who are physically human.

(Physically human nonhumans, feel free to consume anything but the revives and potions as they’re processed so thoroughly you’d get yourself hurt. Anything else is fair game)

[sencity]

yan! botanist content? i am eating this up, we are so well-fed. but dare i present, yan! botanist x entomologist darling?

hear me out… as a botanist, he does happen to dabble in fieldwork from time to time. prior to meeting you, he’s always gone out alone, but that won’t be necessary anymore, not with you around of course. and, oh, how perfect it is that you too, partake in nature research.

conducting fieldwork with him is so wonderful! he’s so knowledgeable, and surprisingly even a bit in entomology; plants and insects are crucial for their environment and one another, you know. he’s showing you all the beautiful flora, even informing you about their histories and roles in the ecosystem. while you’re studying the insects, he offers to help catch them in jars for you! no matter how many bug bites he gets, it’s all worth it for you. and how his heart swells with absolute love and adoration when you patch him up with bandaids and kisses afterwards.

nothing beats bonding over two people’s passions that co-exist perfectly–– especially when you’re in a grand field, of tall grass and little visibility, miles and miles away from any type of civilization; no one to bother the both of you, no one to take you away from him, just you two.

RAHH this man has awakened something in me…

you don’t understand how i’m tittering in my covers reading ts. my mind FLOODED with ideas bro. just… let me add onto this thought. your mind is WONDROUS.

nightmare fuel: none, unfortunately. except me not proofreading.

sen’s statement(s): link to the rest of my yandere!stinkers, let alone the yandere!botanist because why not?

it was a given that mother nature had finally answered his prayers; of course his love interest has an adoration towards insects! could life get any better!? insects are essential to plant life and vice versa. it’s the universe telling you that he needs you, and you need him! the two of you will soon flourish under each other’s love, why wouldn’t you become the butterfly to his pistil?

although you’ve forgotten about the times when he’d try to act cool for you or a little uncharacteristically, he surely goes out of his way to assist you on your projects. whether it��s collecting blister beetles in jars for your research despite the seething pain emerging in his palms or leading you into secluded fields to chase butterflies with wings that match the colors of your guys’ eyes, he’ll be there! still, you do tend to question his motives when he asks what a certain flower reminds you of and comes up with some poetic, philosophical answer to impress you. jeez, save it for the yandere!poet…

“is that right? hm, i’d assume that wisteria reminds you of your dreams… or that little starfish you’re so fond of—”

“the ochre sea star! yes, they’re nowhere near as perfect as you, but they’re lovely—oh! or plums and grapes! i love purple!”

there’s the sencha you love, the one who rambles about his simplistic passions and dislikes since he’s easily (dis)pleased. you’re here to listen to them all, even if they’re a little irrational and aimless like stick bugs…

goddamn, he can’t stand stick bugs.

even though he alters his personality to your liking sometimes (and fails horrifically, of course) he sometimes manages to appeal to your interest… by being himself. there was a time when you fixated on fireflies, wanting to study the patterns and language of their little light bulbs or what genetics causes some lightning bugs to not glow. sencha of course ran with this information and wanted to help to his best ability by insisting on you to sit your pretty self on the porch while he fetches a few for your research. you weren’t too fond of the idea of him doing the job for you, also potentially taking the fun out of it, but you allowed it this once…

you were going to go retrieve him since it seemed that he disappeared, but it just took him so long to collect so many. you would think he used the jar method again but decided that that’s not enough to truly get you to believe that he loves you, therefore he attracted fireflies with his bare hands…

…by coating his hands and forearms with sugar water in order to please the ravenous lightning bugs. primary his sticky hands were coated with tiny gleaming lights since he started off catching them with his palms, and it’s only natural for the rest of them to follow in pursuit.

“i uh, made a few friends along the way…?” he would titter unsurely as his arms expressed ethereality. he was referring to the random moths or flies that were also interested in the treacly treat, but that was the last thing you were fixated on since you were ordering him to not move so you could take pictures…

the two of you were truly an inseparable duo, a nature fusion much like leaf bugs or orchid mantises…

while we’re on the subject of orchids, the flower is one the both of you are very fond of, even though the both of you are suffering from a silly case of synesthesia.

when y/n hears the word orchid she sees a fuzzy yellow that resembles a bumble bee ever so faultlessly. she could never forget how he managed to get his hands on a bee orchid just to prove that his field of study compliments yours greatly. his point has only been proven even more when you giddily bring up that “orchid mantises” exist somewhere in the wild…

when sencha reads the word orchid, your honey-imbued lips drip onto his taste buds which awakens his sweet tooth and sends him into a sugar rush. you were a gift from mother nature, handcrafted by the goddess psyche herself. he even grew different species of orchids just because he cares for the flower so much!

normally you would adulate the bed of vibrant orchids and laborious pollinators that sprawled across the fields while pondering about those simple facts, whereas he would adulate you like how the tides adore the sand. it’s very hard to wrap around that the two of you were a match-made in heaven; he was sure to make you his once the fireflies began to coruscate …

[beeb-oob]

A Chirpers Diet and methods of preparing food

Chirpers were originally herbivores leaning into fructivory, evolution pushing them to loose the grinding ridges they used to have on the inner side of their Mouth Petals, and to instead increase the dexterity of them to pick the often hard to reach berries and Nectar Clusters.

But after the the discovery of basic tool use, Chirpers now have far more opportunities to exploit other sources of food, like invertebrates, bone, or plant matter too hard to digest without some form of pre-digestion, and thus living a more omnivorous lifestyle.

A roster of exemplary food items, in reality there would be far more

Dew Drops, slightly dulled after being picked, in texture and flavor akin to a grape, apple sized; a corner stone of a Chirper's diet

Generic plant pickings; flavors span from sour to slightly spicy/umami

Nectar-Clusters, a very messy snack either given to youngsters as a sweet treat or placed in storage; has a long shelf life

Invertebrates in all shapes and sizes, a good source of minerals; often a part of bread roll fillings

Meat and bones of other animals, bones are occasionally scavenged for, meat and fat are not actively hunted for, they're only aquired in cases of defense against predators or finding of a fresh body. Overall rarely eaten

Tubers and 'mushrooms'; used to give soups a creamy consistency; also used to prepare foods for long term storage

A starchy seed, cultivated to make flatbread; the seeds shoot out of the holding body after drying sufficiently, kids make a game of it to smack the holding body against the ground in turns, the winner being the last one to flinch

Part two will look into the way Chirpers use these ingredients to prepare meals and dishes!

____________________________________________________________________________

=> part two

@charseraph

Aaand another one finished! I actually didn't intend to split this into a two parter, but i think this text length is more digestable (hehehe) and fun to read than the whole thing. Also don't forget to click on the image for better viewing, quality was crunched up by tumblr

Don't know what the heck a Chirper is ? This is what they look like!

Wishing everyone a great morning, midnight and everything inbetween!

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Our Daily Homily by F.B. Meyer

"What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it?" — Isaiah 5:4

This is what the Owner of all souls will say of his dealings with each when the discipline and husbandry of time are over. Each of us is God’s vineyard, and for each God has done the beat possible. At the end of all things God will have no reason to feel that had He adopted some other method, the barren waste of some heart would have brought forth fruit. It will be seen then, Omniscience itself being witness, that every soul of man had the chance of becoming a fruitful vineyard; and if he became the reverse, it was due to no failure in either the wisdom or grace of God.

It is hard to believe this, hard to think that you would not have done better in some other circumstances; but it is nevertheless true that God could not have done better or more. He has trenched for water, gathered out stones which had hindered your fruitfulness, and planted you with slips from the True Vine. There has been the tower of his protection, and the wine-press of suffering! Ah, how eagerly He has looked that you should bring forth grapes! The pity of it is that there has been nothing but the wild growth of nature! But God cannot take the blame for this. He could not have done more than He has done. Alas that we should have so often thwarted Him!

"When I looked." "The Father seeketh," our Savior said. He comes down the garden path full often, seeking from us the fruits of the Spirit, the grace of prayer and supplication, the plants of his delight. "Let us see," He says, "whether the vine hath budded, and its blossom be opened, and the pomegranates be in flower." Too often it is as when Jesus looked for figs—there was nothing but leaves!

[violettadecalda]

Elements: Air Edition

About the air element: The air element is linked to things such as divination, concentration, visualization, and prophecy. Air teaches us how to hone our scattered energy and focus it toward what we want. It teaches us to use our intention. Air can be a big cleanser and also a big charger. Just stand outside for a few momenrs on a windy day, letting it blow around you and play through your hair, and you will feel renewed.

Air in magic: The air element is often used in combination with smoke, feathers, trees, flowers, and plants. It is common to use the air element in both spells that require letting go, and in spells that bring you new information. After all, rumors can travel on the wind. Aromatherapy, hanging objects up, playing the flute or other woodwind instruments, and tossing things to the wind are all examples of using the air element in magic.

Forms of air include: wind, still air, breath, vibrations

Some air spirits include: Sylphs, zephyrs, faeries

Color: Yellow

Direction: East

Tools: Censer, athame, sword, wand

Tarot suit: Swords

Zodiac signs: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius

Symbol:

Air in daily life: The most obvious form of air in our daily lives is the air that we breathe. Everyone does it, everyone needs it. Speaking requires the element of air as well, as it carries the vibrations of our voices. We use air to cool off, and every time we look up at the clouds in the sky, we are interacting with the air element.

Air in the home: Similarly to how fire is used to keep our homes warm, air is used to keep them cool. Whether you are opening a window, turning on a fan, using an air conditioner, or fanning yourself with the playbill for your little brother's school performance of Legally Blonde in the stuffy auditorium, you are using air to cool yourself down. Air can also be very healing. How many times have you stepped outside to get some fresh air and take in the breeze while you were feeling sick?

Air in the kitchen: Though it may not be obvious at first, there are some cooking methods that utilize the air element. Perhaps the most common is drying, whether you are drying meat for jerkey or herbs for tea. Then there is cooking with convection heat, which is growing more popular, or cooking with microwaves. Also popular, as seen by the amount of fizzy beverages and whipped toppings available, is carbonation and aeration. There are several foods and ingredients associated with the air element, including~

Almond, anise, bamboo, brazil nut, caraway, chicory, dandelion, endive, hazel, hops, lavender, lime, mace, maple, marjoram, mint, mulberry, parsley, pecan, sage, acorn squash, artichoke, bitter melon, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, fennel, okra, rhubarb, spaghetti squash, alfalfa, cannelini beans, lima beans, mung beans, celery seed, chamomile, rosemary, scallions, amaranth, puffed rice, rye, apple, apricot, blackberry, currants, lingonberry, pear, pineapple, tamarind, pomegranate, black tea, chocolate, coffee, white vinegar, cabbage, celery, grape leaves, mustard greens, daikon, sunchoke, parsnip, hibiscus, macadamia nuts, walnuts, stevia

Herbs associated with air: Frankincense*, myrrh*, pansy, primrose, vervain, violet, yarrow, dill, clove, acacia, aspen, beech, benzoin*, bodhi, bracken, bromeliad, clover, fern, goldenrod, horehound, houseleek, mistletoe*, papyrus, pine, slippery elm, tobacco, rose petals

Stones associated with air: Fluorite, moonstone, turquoise, amethyst, rhodochrosite, topaz, pumice, alexandrite

Animals associated with air: Doves, hawks, eagles, foxes, turtles, ravens, spiders

Incense: Lavender, lemon balm, linden, frankincense, myrrh, violet, anise, chicory, mace, pine

Air on the altar ideas: yellow feathers, feathers in general, bird imagery, incense, censer, bells, flute, objects hanging above the altar

Divination with the air element: Nephomancy, austromancy, alveromancy, feather divination

Air work for spoonies:

Open up the window to watch the sky

Collect feathers or scatter them to the breeze

Keep a handheld fan nearby for when you need to create a breeze of your own

If you dont have your own windchimes, ring bells or listen to recordings of chimes on your phone

Use yellow pillowcases, blankets, sheets, curtains, or wall decorations

Hang beads or ribbons in your window

*Some herbs are unsafe or even deadly to ingest and can be dangerous to use. ALWAYS do research.

Sources:

[jamessunderlandgf]

—OCS as OBSCURE ASSOCIATIONS, pt. 2

hi— i’m back with another one of these w the fan favorite oc andie!! i actually love this game so much so i AM going to be annoying abt it for the foreseeable future. sorry 🫶🏻 tagging some besties to also do it @teamhawkeye @unholymilf @florbelles @statichvm @jackiesarch @jacobseed @bunfey @fashionablyfyrdraaca @killerspinal @cetra @sikoi @arklay @kyber-infinitygems @avallachs @gortash @oc-musings @rvchelking

ANIMAL: doves. bees. flamingos. monarch butterflies.

COLORS: blush pink. orange. yellow. gold.

MONTH: summer months; june, july.

SONGS: le soleil est près de moi, air. | gold, marina. | pegasus, gems.

NUMBER: lucky number 7.

PLANTS: hibiscus. orange trees. banana leaves.

SMELLS: madagascar vanilla. sea salt. coconut

GEMSTONE: ruby.

TIME OF DAY: sunrise, the very first break of dawn.

SEASON: summer.

PLACES: the mediterranean. a balcony. a cliffside, overlooking the ocean. under the sun. a library. a dusty attic. an ancient ruin.

FOOD: peaches. grapes. brie and crackers. filet mignon. blueberry tarts. raspberry jam.

DRINKS: tea with honey. prosecco. rosé. ice water.

ELEMENT: earth.

ASTROLOGICAL SIGNS: virgo. sagittarius. libra.

SEASONINGS: cinnamon. nutmeg.

SKY: pink, fluffy clouds. early morning sky.

WEATHER: sunny and comfortably warm.

MAGICAL POWER: flight.

WEAPONS: her open palm.

SOCIAL MEDIA. instagram.

MAKEUP PRODUCT: lip gloss.

CANDY: starburst. fruit chews. bubblegum.

METHOD OF LONG DISTANCE TRAVEL: sprinting.

ART STYLE: photography; land art.

FEAR: answering the call of the void.

MYTHOLOGICAL CREATURE: pixie. but not the mischievous type like the disney tinkerbell type pixies

PIECE OF STATIONARY: postcard.

THREE EMOJIS: 🪽🌺💎

CELESTIAL BODY: the SUN. obviously.

[ahhvernin]

In the quest of becoming more healthy and consuming less processed foods...I've noticed that within the realm of certain fad diets in which the participants, who don't medically need the diet, love to tout the healthiness and the simplicity of their diet by fear mongering us by showing us long lists of ingredients of "un- pronounceable" words from processed foods.

But have you actually stopped to look at how complex some of these keto, paleo, gluten free, dairy free etc ingredient lists and recipes are?! Some of them are longer with twice the amount of ingredients than the traditional method and require more time to process or prep or more gas mileage to find an ingredient that most people still can't pronounce or are very unfamiliar and there for uncomfortable with trying. Not to mention the scientific name of certain plants and herbs are used instead of their common name!

So in the end: Long lists and ingredients- you- can't - pronounce" is not the problem and should NOT be the an indicator if a food item is healthy or not. What needs to happen are for people to expand their knowledge of food, and their ingredients, enzymes and reagents and their purpose in the production of their food as well as alternative names.

Because the ingredients "Sodium Chloride" or species  "Capsicum annuum" and "ascorbic acid" should not scare a person into thinking this food as poison and bad for them. These are just the scientific names for "salt" , "chili pepper" and "vitamin C aka the sour stuff on sour candy". These three could easily be part of a fajita seasoning mix, organic or not.

Stop fear mongering people.

Long ingredient lists and hard to pronounce ingredients DO NOT mean they are unhealthy.

Have you ever seen the list for something like curry or mole? Its long, its got words I cannot pronounce and I have to Google but it does not mean its poison or unhealthy. Its culture, heritage, passed down recipes.

There are already so many eating disorders and food avoidance that are affecting people and their health. Folks don't need more reasons to eliminate the food they have left.

Yeah sometimes there are some ingredients that don't sound like they serve a purpose but that's for you to decide if you want a short or longer shelf life or taste or texture consistency of a food item. Because remember...lots of food don't taste good if you let it sit. Things start to loss texture, flavor, it might spoil within 2 days....preservatives have been used for centuries. Some more traditional than others. But if your beef is with these preservatives like sulfites...then talk about the preservatives and leave things like "protein enzymes" and "tannins" out of it. Because those ingredients could very well be the thing that makes your food item that food. Milk doesn't turn into yogurt/cheese without help or grape juice into wine. They need bacteria and enzymes to exist.

[hepbaestus]

Autumn Preparations - 06/05/24

0.8k words|first day of autumn stardew valley au|no TW's apply|ao3 link|

First day of Autumn and there's a lot to be done, specifically planting the season's crops. That's what Fit returns to see when he comes back from spending the morning on Ginger Island, gathering some resources from there, he sees his family. He sees them enjoying life and that's more than he could ever ask for.

Fic underneath read more

Autumn had hit Pelican Town finally and Rosa, upon waking up, had wanted to play in the leaves only to be told by her Pai that she couldn’t just yet as there weren’t enough fallen leaves to play in. Instead he had gotten the kids each to pick a crop that they’d have sole focus on for the season. Ramón chose cranberries, Richarlyson chose grapes and Rosa chose pumpkins. They’d gotten ready for the day before heading to the big shed next to the farmhouse to collect the seeds. The shed was half painted, it having been Richarlyson’s project of the summer just gone. 

Some time was spent there, collecting the seeds necessary and using the seed maker if there weren’t enough to fill the allotted space for each child that Fit had marked out the day prior. Each child had a large area to work on, it would be their primary focus outside of school Fit and Pac had decided, wanting their children to learn how to take care of crops. They had tried to give the kids something big to do each season, whether that be foraging, fishing, farming or something else to broaden their children’s skills. It had initially started as a way for the kids to get to know other children in the town, having been born in Zuzu City.

Ramón and Richarlyson left the shed and got to work, tilling the earth, sprinkling fertiliser and planting the seeds before watering them. Rosa, as she was so young, had her Pai help her. He picked her up, placing her on his hip before walking to her spot on the farm.

“Aqui anjinho? Queres plantar as abóboras aqui?” Pac gently spoke to his daughter, having decided to speak solely in Portuguese to her so that she grew up learning both languages her parents spoke. Ramón, having only been raised speaking English, had asked Pac to also speak to him in Portuguese, attempting the brute force method for learning a language.

Rosa nodded, reaching a hand out to the ground. Being sat on the ground Pac got to tilling the land, keeping an eye on her so that she didn’t put anything in her mouth. She was in that stage of life where everything seemed interesting enough to consume so Fit and Pac had to have a closer eye on her than normal.

“Vamos espalhar um pouco de fertilizante, está bem? E depois as abóboras!” Pac spoke, wiping the back of his hand across his forehead. For an autumnal day, the weather was still grasping at the little amount of summer left with how hot it was. Rosa nodded before dragging the bag of pumpkin seeds closer to her body.

The seeds were planted with minimal attempts made by Rosa to eat them which Pac saw as a win. Ramón and Richarlyson had finished a lot sooner than Pac and Rosa had so they’d wandered off somewhere in the farm. Pac trusted that they would tell him if they wanted to leave the farm, so he didn’t question where they were going.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

“Oiii Pac!” Fit loudly speaks, having just entered the farm, seeing Pac with Rosa on his back, running around as if he’s an aeroplane. Rosa was giggling on his back, having the time of her life as her Pai ran around the animals in their enclosure before stopping in front of Fit.

“Oi Fitchie! How was Ginger Island? Was Leo there?” Pac rattling out questions quicker than Fit could answer them. He stands at his normal height, Rosa sliding down gently before being picked up by her Dad and placed at his waist.

“Leo’s doing good, still getting used to there being other people on the island.” Fit answers before kissing Pac tenderly, having not been able to kiss him when he woke up. He kisses Rosa’s forehead, adjusting her spot at his side.

“Shall we see what the boys are up to? I hope they’ve actually planted something and not messed around. I want them to have fun but we also need the money for when winter comes around and the pigs don’t dig up truffles.” Fit speaks as they walk to where Ramón and Richarlyson are meant to be.

They find the two with the chickens, having had a chick recently hatch had made the kids' curiosity peak with wonder. Despite this being their second year in Pelican Town, the kids found all sorts of things to be interesting and new.

It was there, in the animal enclosure they’d built where they spent the rest of their day, enjoying each other's company. Rosa had been put down for her nap in a shaded spot in her baby carrier and Ramón and Richas had carried out the previous season’s job of painting the farm buildings.

[aikoiya]

LoZ - Gerudo vs Egypt

I can't help but wonder what Ganon & just the Gerudo in-general's reaction to Egypt at the height of its power would be.

If you really think about it, you never really see a settlement in LoZ that's more than a hamlet based upon population alone. Not a single one even truly qualifies as a village despite their names.

But Egypt wasn't just a kingdom. It was an empire, one of the greatest on Earth. And if I'm not mistaken, their cities were big.

And they didn't just survive, they thrived. Despite the desert.

They had some terrible practices, but boy if they weren't tenacious.

It's also weird that you never see an agricultural area of any kind among the Gerudo. I know that I've beaten this over the head a bunch, but so long as you have ready access to fresh water & know the correct planting method, you can grow a lot of stuff in the desert.

Carrots, radishes, cucumbers, squashes, pumpkins, beans, farrow, wheat, dates, figs, tomatoes, spinach, cabbages, grapes, sweet potatoes, sweet peppers, & such. Not to mention the obvious coconuts, cacti such as agave & dragonfruit & aloe, as well as watermelons. All these things grow in the desert just fine. Some of them having canonical counterparts within the game such as Hylian Tomatoes, Fortified & Sun Pumpkins, Hearty Radishes, Swift & Endura Carrots, Hydromelons, Palm Fruit, Voltfruit, & Tabantha Wheat.

Plus, there's the stuff that we know grows there because we see them growing there. Hydromelons, Voltfruit cacti, Wildberries, Zapshrooms, Warm & Electric Safflina, Spicy Peppers, Dazzlefruit, Palm Fruit, & Shock Fruit.

So, since BotW/TotK Gerudo have access to a seemingly endless source of water, then add to that the straw grid planting method, they should be thriving.

And I don't understand why they aren't.

Perhaps the development team don't know much about desert ecology?

Not that it wouldn't be difficult. Heavens, no! At the same time, I've never seen the Gerudo as lazy by any account. They'd need to be incredibly resilient & hardworking to live where they do without growing their own food.

In such a situation, I can definitely understand Ganondorf's... frustrations. Doesn't make his actions in any way okay, but I can understand why he'd be envious of his obviously thriving neighbors.

I will admit, part of the problem was, indeed, most likely on Hyrule's part for not giving some sort of aid, but that doesn't mean that that the Gerudo were blameless.

LoZ Cultural Masterlist 2

[hibernationsuit-remade]

oc + random associations

tagged by @dekarios hehehehe thank uuuu <3

tagging @dekariosgale @quickhacked @reaperkiller @elmshore @spaceratprodigy @darkfire1177 and anyone else who wants to do this! and ofc no pressure to do this tbh

gonna use patience for this one bc i've secretly been thinking about it teeheeheee <3

animal: mourning dove, bunny,

colors: purple, gold, white, light gray

month: june

songs: Reaper Man - Mother Mother (mostly for the vibes & melody), Black Celebration - Depeche Mode

number: 7

plants: lavender

scents: same as previous hehehehe! but also, strawberries

gemstone: amethyst

time of day: dusk

season: summer

places: New York, Paris

food: blueberry yoghurt, mac & cheese

drinks: pretty colored cocktails :3

element: fire

seasonings: KDJJFFFK I HAVE NO IDEA. hm. cinnamon!

sky: that sky you see at dusk after golden hour has passed. some yellow left near the horizon, blue-purple sky and shadows...

weather: somewhat cloudy, sunrays showing through the clouds

magical power: teleportation

weapons: daggers & pistols

candy/sweets: grape marmelade!

method of long distance travel: spaceships, trains

art style: expressionism?

fear: not being loved for who you really are

mythological creature: dragon! one that's v long but small

piece of stationery: purple brush pen

three emojis: 💜⚜️❕

celestial body: saturn!

[sunnyapollonjabrigidotter]

I want to make a story on a girl that while in a vacation to Holly Greece's island of Rhodes, goes back in time to Ancient Rhodos, & basicly some generated content...

[Request: You are in vacation in Greece on a pitoresque island filled with history. Suddenly something happens & you are brought in a parallel world some thousand years before... you took the place of a nice housewife... you go to an oracle you just heard of & ask how you can leave it. & it tells you that in order to leave you have to live there by a year & follow the customs of the place from the mid of summer till the final day of the year... get all the details clear, what she has to do by day & weeks each months, the special ocasions, etc... ]

I. the Oracle talks...

Here is the detailed response from the Oracle on how you can leave this parallel world and return to your own time:

⚡️"Greetings, weary traveler from the future. I have heard your plea to return to your own time, but the path is not an easy one. In order to leave this world and find your way back, you must fully immerse yourself in the customs and traditions of this time for the duration of one full year, from the middle of summer until the final day.

🌞 Your journey shall begin on the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. On this day, you must participate in the grand celebration honoring the gods of sun and harvest. Join the villagers in feasting, dancing, and giving thanks for the bountiful season ahead.

🍇 As the days grow shorter, you will find yourself in the midst of the grape harvest. This is a time of great activity, as the villagers work tirelessly to gather the ripe fruit and prepare the wine that will sustain them through the colder months. Lend your hands to this important task, learning the traditional methods passed down through generations.

🍁 With the autumnal equinox, the harvest season reaches its peak. The village will hold a grand festival, with colorful processions, elaborate costumes, and rituals to honor the change of seasons. You must immerse yourself fully, embracing the customs and traditions, even if they seem foreign to you.

❄️ As winter approaches, the pace of life will slow, and the people will turn their attention inward. This is a time of reflection and reverence. You must observe the sacred holidays, such as the Winter Solstice, with the utmost respect and participate in the rituals and ceremonies that have been practiced here for centuries.

🌱 When the first stirrings of spring arrive, the village will come alive once more. This is a time of renewal and rebirth, and you must celebrate the awakening of the land with the same enthusiasm as the locals. Help to prepare the fields for planting, tend to the livestock, and welcome the return of longer, warmer days.

🌅 Finally, as the Summer Solstice approaches once more, you will have completed the full cycle of the year. If you have embraced the customs and traditions of this world with an open heart and a willingness to learn, the Oracle will deem you ready to return to your own time.

🐍Be warned, however, that the journey back may not be an easy one. You may find that the lessons and insights you have gained in this parallel world have forever changed your perspective, and the return to your own time may be bittersweet. But trust in the wisdom of the Oracle, and have faith that you will find your way back, forever transformed by your experiences in this ancient and mystical land."

Lit me hearing the voice of an air-plane assistant that says things like put your belt on & get ready to flight.... i could have some alternating moments, like she dreams of something like wandering on some stony terrain, there is super hot, she takes some water from a lil bottle (ploscă) to drink, then she realisezes, there's no more... then she hears a strong melodious voice, sounding as from afar, the sweet lady on the microphon calls her to reality, anouncing the start of the flight...

She arrives at the destination, the way s not that important (too much researching!!!). & then she has to wait for her parents to do something... then they're going on a village way to her grandparents (fatherside) & then she stumbles on a mistery box... there she finds & reads out loud the story of an ancient hunt with the beautiful tradition of Ancient Rhodes (surprisingly it has English translations.. huh, tourist friendly i suppose, yeah, our lady can hardly speak/read/understand any greek, & she's first time at her fatherside grannies, of whom she was totally unaware till recently, nor even of her father did she knew - bravos mama, but that's another story..)

(Nice, Bing... I guess it shows how she reads translation).

Have a lot more but ig 4 first part is enough...

Including of rituals s gotta be a must, so if anyone could help, & would like to, id love to hear it, u could message me ^^

📍The aim of the story: s to motivate myself to learn on the ancient customs (im aware there's gonna be a lot of made-up things, cs there's no way i could sit through it all, to have it as authentical as for example Umberto Eco or Mark Levi would have it...) & to discover a new style of writing...

.....

Oh, kinda missing my old wattpad days, not the bugs tho :// & i dont have the energy i used to have aroud 2016-18... & this is def super deep... had an older wapp account i lost, but it still exists... there i got my first failure at writing & saving one of my works which was not a random book, but a fanfic.. & the action happens in there, cs the star i wanted to make it about s from there, n namely Saloniki, chose Saloniki cs a metropola & not Athens (back then, i learn Greece has two metropolas, if meanwhile got a third, or i had wrong infos, im sorry, dk 😆). Meanwhile, learnt the guy's from there, namely. Had no idea back then, n for some reason didn't bug to check to my shame, or so i remember...

The first narration line -well and the only till the sinking- is focused on a Cypriot girl, her aunt, Nane (who btw, lately i decided s gonna be of Turkish descent, cs why not) & her two friends one of the names i remember is Nike & the other i decided meanwhile was gonna be Suzy, cs i simply forgot her name.. & they got an interesting story, i think i saved it... i also put a school in there, where they all 3 finished high school... but that's for another time... need to find and retrieve from my lil roleplay w chat gpt... & ik it's gonna be sooo maddening, 1st to find all that, then to retrieve...

Wish me luck, in all...

Here a nice Asphodel Meadow, meaning that there is more than what meets the eye... ^*)