#types of camphor

[camphor2]

use of camphor

Use of camphor as an ingredient in many traditional remedies for cold, flu, and cough.

Use of camphor in the production of topical analgesic creams and ointments for pain relief.

Use of camphor is an effective natural insecticide that can be used to keep insects away from stored clothing and bedding.

Use of camphor is an important ingredient in many cosmetic products such as creams, lotions, and hair tonics.

Use of camphor can be added to hot water or humidifiers to provide relief from nasal and chest congestion.

Use of camphor in aromatherapy to promote relaxation and reduce stress.

Use of camphor as an ingredient in some mouthwashes due to its antibacterial properties.

Use of camphor as a natural cleaning agent for removing stubborn stains and odors.

Use of camphor is an important ingredient in some traditional balms and salves for wound healing and skin irritations.

Use of camphor in the production of some types of incense sticks for spiritual and religious purposes.

Use of camphor to treat fungal infections such as athlete's foot and ringworm.

Use of camphor in some types of pain-relieving patches for targeted pain relief.

Use of camphor as an important ingredient in the production of some types of explosives and fireworks.

Use of camphor as a natural insect repellent for pets and livestock.

Use of camphor is a versatile substance with many uses in traditional medicine, natural health, and industry.

[asheanon]

Vincent Valentine running a tea shop.

— For @/Carendsyaz1 (on Twitter)

From: Ask Box Writing Prompt Game

📖 It's Tea Story Time...

At low volume, a strangely familiar tune can be heard playing from within. Though soft and slightly somber, there was something almost bewitching about its sound. For those who felt themselves inquisitive enough to stop by or simply take a little peek inside, the melody often served to pull them in. And if it wasn't enough to keep them there, then another provocation of the senses surely would.

While the space wasn't necessarily sizeable, it was made good use of. The interior was largely cast in black, embellished with mahogany trim and other forms of furniture and decor. Rows of shelves lined the walls - all of which were lined themselves with boxes and tins containing loose leaf tea blends. In one corner, what could best be described as "Victorian Gothic-esque" tea sets were made available with respective displays. In another, a variety of delectable baked goods could be found. It was sleek, elegant and dark. Pardoning some splashes of color, at least.

A modest collection of carmine roses and other fair forms of flower were scattered about and presented daintily, accenting the shelves and countertops. While these floral arrangements were far from abundant, oddly, their fragrance seemed to prove stronger than their number. It dared to puzzle you. Before your curiosity got the better of you, however, a door behind the counter opened.

A gentleman with long raven hair, partly obscured by a headband of a similar shade, emerged with a tray in hand. Following him, a wave of an even stronger rendition of the botanical scent wafted towards you. With a lean figure complimented by a cobalt dress shirt and black dress pants, it was soon made apparent to you... He was tall, dark and... well... he was a pretty handsome fellow too. Had it not been for the metallic shimmer of his silver tray, golden arm and rather pallid complexion, he threatened to blend right into the walls. What's that? Golden arm? Why, but of course!

Donned upon his left arm was a metal gauntlet bearing a golden sheen - large, clawed and unlike anything you had ever seen an employee in your local area wear. Its peculiarity begot intrigue.

He carefully sat the tray down upon the furthest counter, retrieving a pinch of something red, then another of something violet, dropping them both into a small metal infuser. It was then that he noticed he was no longer alone.

"Welcome." He offered a simple greeting. A moment was spared as an electric kettle was given power before he turned to face you. You were met with dark crimson eyes.

For whatever reason, you felt oddly compelled to purchase a lemon raspberry scone in particular... this same compulsion drove you to remark on the "heavenly aroma" just as well. And, as was made evident, there appeared to be a tea in the making right before your very eyes... so, naturally, one would only speculate what manner of tea it could it be, right? Right! Between the redolence and an innate sense of wonder, understandably, you found yourself pressed enough to ask about it.

Logging your order, the man then offered you a subtle nod and an even subtler smile. One that was easily missed. He retrieved a box from nearby, handing it off to you with the assurance it was a similar blend. It was titled "Rose On The Grey."

Clearly, it contained flowers; rose petals and lavender blossoms deemed safe for consumption, but it also bore black tea layered with hints of vanilla and bergamot. In essence, it was a blend of traditional Earl Grey with mostly floral additions.

"Goes well with cream and sugar." He added.

As you seemed preoccupied enough via examining the tea box's contents, he excused himself a moment more, tending to the now well heated kettle. He placed the infuser into a decorative black teacup, moderately gilded. It was one of two, now.

"Would you like a sample?"

Uh, yes. You would like a sample. In fact, when he inquired whether or not you would like any additives, you insisted that it be prepared the way he would personally prepare it. To your delight, he was willing to oblige.

The lull in time placed between the present and preparing two teacups worth of specialty tea felt to pass by effortlessly. A small, intricate table made for two beckoned you over. You took a seat with your scone and the box of tea that was not quite yours (yet,) but you felt compelled to let it accompany you nonetheless. Additional details within the shop catered to the eye as you waited.

"Here." Eventually, an elegant little cup of piping hot tea was presented to you, complete with the recommended amounts of both cream and sugar. Despite the somewhat impassive fashion in which it was bestowed upon you, you can tell it was made with love. Your intuition told you so.

Lightly blowing at the steam, you boldly went in for a sip - only to be stopped with a small "mm-mm." He had his back turned to you, returning to the counter. Had he heard you? How did he know?

The man insisted that you wait just a minute or two more, lest you burn your tongue. It was as if stories of visiting tea-samplers previous to you told themselves in the way he handled the situation. Fine, you would wait...

... But when you were done waiting, it was all yours. The revered first sip of the dark, mysterious shopkeeper's tea - of which seemed just as dark and mysterious, yet sweet as he.

[thejournallo]

Explain the basic: Oils

Check out Part 1, which explains how to use the things down below. Disclaimer: All the things in this post are based on research and personal experience. As much as I could be a teacher, I suggest you find many resources for knowledge to develop your own experiences. Make sure you research the oils you buy/use because some oils can damage or hurt your skin in a really bad way. as well as some aromatherapy oils that can hurt your pet (if you have one).

Types of oils

Anointing oils — A sacred oil that’s blessed and charged and specially formulated for a specific purpose, usually for people.

Carrier oils — Vegetable and mineral oils that are used to help dilute essential oils that could cause skin irritation.

Condition oils — Anointing or conjure oils used to help relieve or improve someone’s condition.

Conjure oils — A dressing oil from an ancient practice usually African, European, or Native American traditions. Often found in Hoodoo.

Dressing oils — Specially prepared oil applied to spell and ritual objects before using them to sanctify, charge, and prepare them for use.

Essential oils — Volatile, concentrated oils, with the characteristic scent of the plant/flower they are from.

Ritual oils — Oils used to anoint candles, ritual tools, material, furniture, money, and other such items, and then use to anoint the body are often also called anointing oils.

Basic oils and their use:

Basil: Stimulates the mind, used in money-attracting oils, and encourages peace

Benzoin: Increases personal power and awakens the conscious mind

Bergamot: Money and protective rituals

Black Pepper: Protection and promotes courage

Chamomile: Meditation and inducing peace

Camphor: Purification and promoting celibacy

Cardamom: Energy to love and sexually oriented formulas

Cedarwood: Enhances spirituality

Cinnamon: Money and psychic awareness

Clove: Courage and protection

Coriander: Love and healing

Cypress: Blessing, consecration, and protection. Helps ease loss

Eucalyptus: All healing and purification.

Frankincense: Spirituality and meditation

Geranium: Happiness and protection

Ginger: Courage, love, money, and sexuality

Grapefruit: Purification

Jasmine: Love, psychic awareness, peace, spirituality, and sexuality

Juniper: Protection, purification, moon symbolism, and healing

Lavender: Health, love, peace, and consciousness

Lemon: Purification, healing, and lunar use

Lemongrass: Psychic awareness and purification

Lemon verbena: Love

Lime: Purification and protection

Lotus: Spirituality, healing, and meditation

Magnolia: Meditation, love, and psychic awareness

Myrrh: Spirituality, meditation, and healing

Neroli: Happiness and purification

Niaouli: Protection

Oakmoss: Attract money

Orange: Purification

Palma Rosa: Love and healing

Patchouli: Money, sex, and physical energy

Peppermint: Purification

Pine: Purification, protection, money, and healing

Rose: Love, peace, sexual desires, and enhancing beauty

Rosemary: Love and healing

Sandalwood: Spiritualty, meditation, sex, and healing

Tangerine: Sun symbol, power, and strength

Tonka: Money

Vetivert: Money

Yarrow: Love, courage, and psychic awareness

Ylang Ylang: Love, peace, and sex

As always, I will love to hear your thoughts! and if you have any questions, I will be more than happy to answer them! If you liked it, leave a comment or reblog (that is always appreciated!). if you are intrested in more method check the masterlist!

[focsle]

Do you have any tips on how to identify sea chests/distinguish them from regular hope chests? I see a lot of neat wooden chests at estate sales that I'm always tempted by in general, but i'm not sure what the best way is to tell which was meant for a sailor

For me the biggest tell that it’s undoubtedly a sea chest are the beckets and the wood cleats to hold said beckets. It’s the most identifiable and consistent feature that sets them apart from other kinds of chests:

Sea chests also tend to have a pretty standard interior where they have a little till compartment (though it doesn’t always survive, so if it’s not present that’s not unusual):

Vs things like hope chests that might have a divider right down the middle or other configurations.

The shape can be a clue too. This definitely isn’t always the case, but sea chests can have a flared shape like this:

This also isn’t always the case, but they also can have an extra overhang on the lid (also seen above, and below), to keep the water and suchlike out.

And this isn’t always a sure thing, but wood types, too. Most were pine. Mine is more unusual because it’s made out of camphor wood (which is why I have some Theories that it potentially belonged to a captain or mate). But they were usually cheaper woods because it was what most sailors could afford. Vs heirloom chests that are more often made from nicer woods.

tl;dr rope beckets and/or the cleats to hold them are the biggest tell. They’re also just a lot harder to find than other kinds of chests because they were a Hard Working Object.

[magicaguajiro]

La Bóveda: Spiritually Cleansing Yourself and the Altar

Once you and the altar are physically clean, it is important to make sure you are spiritually cleansed. We cleanse to clear ourselves of any energies we may have picked up, to make the space clear of unwanted spirits who may impede our communication and to perfume the space for our spirits. Whatever way you choose to cleanse the altar and yourself is up to you, but it is important that you pray through the whole ritual. I personally like to pray things like Psalm 23, Psalm 7, Alan Kardec’s Books of Selected Prayers, and La Fe en Oracion. You can also pray from your heart or pray pagan prayers if you choose, but I do recommend researching the role Christianity plays in modern folk practices.

If you are just starting out, try using a spiritual cologne like Florida Water or 1800. It is important to cleanse every object that is part of the table. You may also choose to smoke cleanse with Tobacco, Incense, herbs, and resins like frankincense and myrrh. When using Tobacco, you usually will light the end, flip it around and blow, as if the altar is taking the puff. Blow this smoke all over the entire altar once it is complete and the candle is lit and fill the cups with smoke. Don’t burn yourself! Traditionally, a preparation would be made called an Omiero to wipe down the altar. If you want to put some more energy into it, you can choose to do a series of spiritual baths for yourself. These baths won’t just be cute roses and lavender in a milk tub. It will be consecutive days of blessed and charged baths, using 3, 5, 7, 9 or more herbs as well as things like oils, waters, dirts, resins and colognes. Spiritual baths are a great tool to add to a routine if you can figure out a way to incorporate it. Though, as someone with ADHD I know how hard it can be so don’t feel pressured to if other methods suffice for you.

[My Go-To Quick Spiritual Cleanses for Bóveda work. From Left to Right: Rue Water, Blessed Florida Water, water from where the river meets the ocean, and blessed Kolonia 1800]

There are many different types of spiritual baths. It should be noted that working with certain materia is dangerous and should be supplied by a professional or elder. Also, some herbs can harm you spiritually if they are poured on your head, like espanta muerte. Also, most baths will need to be “illuminated” with a candle burned in them. I usually use white tapers or novena candles. The baños used for espiritismo include some called bitter baths and sweet baths. Bitter baths use herbs like espanta muerte, agrimony, pepper, wormwood, and garlic. These baths are designed to clear you of any crossed conditions or evil eye, remove obstacles and steer you on course to your path. After that, a sweet bath using honey, romerillo (shepherd’s nettle), basil (albahaca), abrecamino (road-opener), Hibiscus (marpacifico), and Orange. This is to draw in the correct opportunities for your path as well as to increase your personal ‘magnetism’ in a way. This basically makes you more appealing in all ways, even for money and opportunities. But also for negative entities, so remember to wear protective amulets at this point in the process. Finally, a white bath will be prepared using things like coconut water, goats milk, cascarilla, white rum, florida water, kolonia, and camphor. This serves to enlighten you and make you more sensitive to spirits and energies around you. It also draws your spirits closer to you. You may also choose to fast on occasion during the first three days or the final day of this routine.

It can also be traditional to preform a sweeping, where you take a bundle of fresh herbs or a blessed broom and use them to swat away any energies you don’t want to invade your altar and session. This can be hard to do properly if an altar is already set up, so I would suggest doing this on the days you deep clean the bóveda. It is also important on these days and when doing deeper work and sessions at the altar to cover your head. This closes your energy off, and means to connect to your spirits you have to allow them to tap in.

These are just precautions you have to take when working with the Dead and Disincarnate. In Cuba, the folk magic is inherently tied to the muertos.

Luz y Progreso. 🕯️

[currently-tired]

guys Holy Shit.

Dice in the 1920’s were commonly made of plastics, such as celluloid. Celluloid is made out of nitrocellulose and camphor. (there’s several types of plastic, but I saw this one first when researching and it caught my eye.)

It’s highly flammable.

here’s a celluloid pen on fire:

this guy is using a ping pong ball as a fire starter

Nitrocellulose was literally used as a gun powder replacement.

All of this is to say, that I am extremely worried for King Dice in Devil’s presence.

[liberty-or-death]

What is a Sanren 散人

This was previously explained in Chapter 29 (Taming Wangxian) but I thought I’d bring this back since the translation has been taken down. 

道号 refers to a honorific title for a Taoist practitioner. 

While the term Daoren is a commonly used term for Taoist practitioners, there are two definitions to Sanren: (i) a person who is simple, useless and disregarded by the world, or (ii) a free-spirited and unrestrained person who is unconcerned with the world. 

With regards to the first definition, while the terms “useless” and “disregarded by the world” carry negative connotations in English, it’s interpreted in a positive manner in this case. Taoist philosopher Zhuangzi explains the ideology in The Realm of Human Interactions (人间世). There is a story about a carpenter who brought his disciple on a trip. When they arrived at the country of Qi (齐国), they saw a gigantic tree.  A large crowd had gathered around to observe the tree, and so did the disciple. After some time, the disciple said, “I’ve been travelling with you for some time now. It’s the first time we have encountered such a humongous tree, but you aren’t even looking at it. Why is this so?” The carpenter replied, “Sigh. It’s a shame, that’s just loose wood (散木 / sàn mù). If it was used to make a boat, the boat would sink. If it was used to make a coffin, it would rot. If it was used to make furniture, it would spoil easily. If it was made into a beam, it would be overrun with insects. This type of wood is useless, that’s why the tree has grown to be so large.”

That very night, the spirit god residing in the tree appeared in the carpenter’s dream and said, “Are you comparing me to wood that can be used? Take a look at the pear trees, hawthorn trees, grapefruit trees and camphor trees. Their fruits will be plucked when they are ripe, destroying their branches in the process. This is the suffering they have to bear, just so that they can be of use. Hence, they can never grow. This is the way of the world. I seek to be useless, and my wish has been granted.” The tree then uses the word 散 to reprimand the man, saying, “A scattered person (散人 sànrén) like yourself who’s about to die, what would you know about loose wood?”

This story is a reminder that one can live their life to the fullest if they are able to see past material value of things. 

And as for the second explanation, it has been explained here in an old subbed video.

In other words, a Sanren isn't a wanderer. So please stop saying Cangse Sanren's a wandering cultivator. The Sanren(s) are the GOAT in MDZS.

[stampedestring]

Sickness/injury appears as a plot point quite frequently in Rawhide; although it's rarely portrayed realistically (e.g., Rowdy's infamous for suffering no lasting effects from getting bashed on the head repeatedly), I like it when the writers incorporate medical terminology from the era. I don't know much about the period, so it's interesting to read up on.

[Spoilers below for S3E3 Incident at Dragoon Crossing; discussion of medical stuff, cw surgery, cw addiction]

Favor falls sick in Incident at Dragoon Crossing (headache, blurry vision, can't think straight), and he attributes it to a skull fracture he suffered during the war, which doctors told him might lead to brain fever, blindness, or worse. The other trail boss, Cord, who takes over the herd on Favor's behalf while he goes to see a doctor, suggests it might be something else. It turns out it's a bad fever, and medicine from a doctor (and some rest in a proper bed) helps him get better.

When Cord goes to take over the herd and tells the drovers that Favor is sick and has gone to see a doctor, Wishbone says Favor doesn't go in for doctors and he's never had anything Wishbone couldn't treat with salts, paregoric, and something I can't quite recall at the moment. (Paregoric is camphorated tincture of opium, a household remedy of the period, used to treat diarrhea, cough, and pain. I haven't gotten round to really reading up on the common use of the term "salts," but I suppose they could be compounds of mercury, etc., or maybe Rochelle salt? Anyway, I came across this list of drugs carried in a civil war medical wagon, which does include paregoric and Rochelle salt.)

Earlier in the episode, when Pete and Wishbone notice that Favor seems ill, Wishbone (I think) suggests Favor might have the ague (i.e., malaria, or another fever characterized by fever and chills - see this nifty tiny resource from a UPenn course for a flavor of how it figured in people's lives then). Wishbone mixes something dark from a small bottle into a cup of coffee for Favor, which Favor immediately detects and spits out, lol. (Probably not quinine, though quinine is bitter.)

In reading up about head injuries during the American Civil War, I saw that trephination (making a hole in the skull) was a procedure that saw some use (article from National Museum of Civil War Medicine); it had a high mortality rate, but apparently was better than trying expectant management. Perhaps Favor had a relatively minor fracture that didn't require such treatment, but he doesn't specify what, if any, treatment he received. Perhaps just pain management by way of morphine and opium? (The use of which, by the way, led to many veterans suffering opiate addiction even long after the war.)

Given that the writers included ague, brain fever, and paregoric, I wonder if they could have been more specific about the type of illness Favor had and the medicine that was used to treat it. Any thoughts? I'm over here amusing myself thinking that he basically popped an aspirin and got all better. (Or willow bark tea, for something more period-appropriate.)

[yamayuandadu]

I'm very curious about Yachie's species, the Jidiao. But, the wiki doesn't show much information about the creature. Does it have a lore? Does it have a similar ability to Yachie? Sorry if my English is a bit strange, it's not my native language.

Don't worry, I'm not a native speaker either. As long as it's clear what you are asking about there's no issue.

As far as I know, the jidiao is mostly attested in medical treatises like Bencao Gangmu. These do provide a fair share of "ecological" information, though. You can find an English translation here; I will only summarize a part of it. The jidiao is described as having the head of a snake and the body of either a turtle or an alligator, and simultaneously as a type of dragon (for instance, according to Sun Guangxian there was a belief in unspecified coastal areas that when a dragon lays two eggs a jidiao is bound to hatch from one of them). Hao Yixing, an early nineteenth century Chinese author best known for his commentary on the Shanhaijing which came to be regarded as the standard edition, relates the jidiao to the dragon turtle (longgui). It is said to dwell either in rivers or, unexpectedly, on trees. The creature's fat was believed to have medicinal properties, specifically as an antidote to swelling caused by poisons. It was believed it could only be held in an eggshell (or alternatively in a glass container within two boxes of camphor wood), as it would leak from anything else. There are also references to its... bodily fluids, I guess, but this seems this was a term for a type of freshwater sponge. The ability seems to be entirely ZUN's invention.

[talesofedo]

(Hokusai - Hokusai Manga Vol. 12, Men eating Noodles)

I recently came across the paper "Ancient DNA analysis of food remains in human dental calculus from the Edo period, Japan" by Sawafuji et al. (2020).

Researchers extracted DNA from dental calculus - that's the white stuff that forms on your teeth over time (and is generally removed if you go in for cleanings) - to study what people in the mid- to late-Edo period ate. To do this, they sampled calculus from 13 bodies dating to the 18th and 19th Century: 7 women and 6 men who lived in the city of Edo.

They found that they were unable to identify any type of animal taxon in the samples, so we don't know which fish or meats, if any, were eaten by the sampled individuals. So, not helpful in that regard.

However, they were able to identify the following:

We already know (and the paper points this out as well) that the diet of Edo's townspeople primarily consisted of rice and vegetables, occasionally (or regularly, depending on your means) accompanied by various types of fish.

From the list above, we can then identify a few more of the ingredients these specific people ate: rice, as their main staple, but also soba or udon (made from wheat and barley). An assortment of different vegetables, such as carrots, chestnuts, shiso, and garlic chives. And tea, naturally.

Interestingly, the researchers also found some non-food items, specifically plant matter from the Cupressacea (cypress) family, borneol and tobacco.

Tobacco is perhaps self-explanatory: many people in Edo smoked (pipes, specifically), and it would be fair to say that this left some residue in their dental calculus.

Plant matter from the cypress family is more interesting. There are two types of trees native to Japan from that family, the Japanese cedar and the Japanese arborvitae, the kind of smallish conifer that grows all over Japan. This plant matter is most likely to get into peoples' mouths by using chopsticks and toothpicks made from those trees, but also by using the resin as a painkiller for toothaches.

And the borneol stands out because it comes from a tree called the Borneo camphor, which isn't native to Japan and also won't grow in Japan if you tried. Meaning that the borneol would have to be imported, which it had been for a few hundred years, from China.

People examined in this study most likely came into contact with borneol as a flavoring in tooth powder. Tooth powder at the time was primarily fine sand with added flavoring to, I suppose, improve the experience and set apart different "brands" sold in stores.

You can learn more about tooth powders, tooth brushes, and treating toothaches in the Edo period on the website of the Kanagawa Prefectural Dental Association (in English).

Additionally, borneol was used in many traditional kampo medicines in both Japan and China. I'm not very well versed in kampo medicines, but according to this website, it's used to aid the digestive system by stimulating the production of gastric juices, treat bronchitis, coughs and colds, relieves pain and reduces swelling, and can be taken as a tonic to promote relaxation.

[tiredwitchplant]

Everything You Need to Know About Herbs: Pennyroyal

Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium)

*Poisonous *Medical *Masculine

Folk Names: European Pennyroyal, Lurk-In-The-Ditch, Mosquito Plant, Organ Broth, Organs, Organ Tea, Piliolerian, Pudding Grass, Run-By-The-Ground, Squaw Mint, Tickweed

Planet: Mars, Venus

Element: Fire

Deity: Demeter

Abilities: Protection, Amplification, Revealing Secrets, Peace and Strength

Why Poisonous?: The oil from pennyroyals contains pulegone, a colorless oily liquid that as a pleasant odor that is found in pennyroyals, peppermint and camphor. It causes failure to the kidneys and liver, which results in bleeding, seizures, multiple organ failure and death. Many women have died trying to use pennyroyal oil in order to induce an abortion.

Do not consume the oil.

Characteristics: It has a powerful aromatic scent and is a perennial plant, growing to 16 inches. It has oval, toothed leaves with spirals of lilac flowers. It thrives in damp areas and blooms its flowers in the summer.

History: Native to Europe and western Asia. In 23-79 CE Roman natural historian, Pliny, wrote that the pennyroyal was a better medicinal herb than roses and purified bad water. It is called pennyroyal because it was good for the extermination of puliol royals, a type of flea. It was said it was used in witchcraft in order to cause people to see double and a protection plant in Sicily to protect from the evil eye. In Wales, it was gathered on St. John’s Eve for the benefit of “a person who has lost consciousness in the consequence of an illness.” (In other words patients in comas).

Growing Pennyroyals:

Are they easy to grow? Yes

Rating: Beginner Friendly

Seeds Accessible: No

How to Grow

Video Reference

Where to Buy Seeds

Magical Usage:

Can be used to boost magical energy for spell work

When placed on a picture of yourself or another person, can repel evil or bring good health

Placed in one’s shoes can prevent weariness during travel and strength your body

Kept in the home will prevent lover’s quarrels

Can be carried when you travel abroad boats to prevent sea sickness

Medical Usage

Is a good digestive tonic for intestinal worms, relieve gas and stomach aches

In tea form, it can help with chills, colds, bronchitis and asthma. Can also help with blood sugar and inducing menstruation

Can be used externally to treat itchiness and formication, the feeling of ants crawling on your body, and rheumatic conditions such as gout.

Sources

[camphor2]

Nautral camphor

Nautral camphor is a waxy, white crystalline substance that is extracted from the wood of the camphor tree.

Nautral camphor  has a strong, distinctive fragrance and a cooling, soothing effect on the skin.

Nautral camphor  is commonly used in traditional medicine for its antiseptic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory properties.

Nautral camphor  is a popular ingredient in many herbal remedies for coughs, colds, and respiratory ailments.

In India, Nautral camphor  is used in religious ceremonies as an offering to deities and for purification purposes.

Nautral camphor is also used as a natural insect repellent and as a moth deterrent.

Nautral camphor is a natural decongestant that helps to relieve nasal and chest congestion.

Nautral camphor  can be used in aromatherapy to promote relaxation and reduce stress.

Nautral camphor  is an effective natural remedy for muscle pain and soreness.

Nautral camphor  is used in the production of some types of plastics, including celluloid.

Nautral camphor  has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years to treat a variety of ailments.

Nautral camphor is a powerful natural stimulant that can improve mental clarity and alertness.

Nautral camphor can be used to treat skin conditions such as acne, eczema, and psoriasis.

Nautral camphor  is a safe and effective natural alternative to chemical insecticides and mothballs.

Nautral camphor  is a versatile substance with many uses in traditional medicine, spirituality, and natural health.

[najia-cooks]

[ID: A close-up on the bottom right of a bowl filled with a red, brown, and yellow spice blend. The rest of the frame is taken up by scattered brown chili flakes, ajwain, and fenugreek seeds. End ID.]

Berbere / በርበረ (Ethiopian spice blend)

Berbere is a spice blend commonly used to flavor meat and vegetable dishes in the horn of Africa; mostly made up of Ethiopian brown chili peppers, it also commonly includes garlic and shallot, false cardamom, carom and nigella seeds, high-roasted fenugreek, cinnamon, and other spices and herbs. This recipe for an Ethiopian-style berbere produces a blend that imparts a smooth, even heat and a slight camphorous aroma to your final dish.

Premade berbere blends, even those from speciality spice stores, cut corners and cut costs—even if the spices are fresh and have always been stored sealed, the blend is unlikely to contain Ethiopian brown chilis, korerima, or besobela. This recipe provides a good baseline for a typical Ethiopian berbere if you're able to get your hands on these spices, rather than relying on undisclosed substitutions—but it does provide substitutions for anything you're unlikely to find in a local halaal grocery store in the U.S. or Europe. To avoid confusion with overlapping English translations (and because many recipes contain errors caused by them), Amharic terms, botanical (Latin) names, and false cognates to beware of are provided whenever necessary.

Recipe under the cut!

Patreon | Tip jar

Ingredients:

1/4 cup dried ground Ethiopian brown chili (berbere), or substitute New Mexico chilis

1 Tbsp sweet paprika (optional)

2 tsp garlic powder (nech shinkurt / ነጭ ሽንኩርት)

2 tsp dehydrated shallot or red onion (key shinkurt / ቀይ ሽንኩርት)

2 tsp false cardamom (korerima / ኮረሪማ; Aframomum melegueta)

1 tsp coriander seeds (dimbilal / ድንብላል)

1 tsp black mustard seeds (senafitch / ሰናፍጭ; Brassica nigra) (optional)

1/2 tsp fenugreek (abish or hulbet / አብሽ; Trigonella foenum-graecum), dark-roasted

1/2 tsp nutmeg (gewz; Myristica fragrans)

1/4 tsp ground ginger (zinjibel / ዝንጅብል; Zingiber officinale)

1/4 tsp carom seeds (nech azmud / ነጭ አዝሙድ; Trachyspermum ammi)

1/4 tsp nigella seeds (tikur azmud / ጥቁር አዝሙድ; Nigella sativa)

1/8 tsp true (Ceylon) cinnamon (k'elefa / ቀረፋ; Cinnamomum verum), or substitute cassia cinnamon

4 pieces Ethiopian long pepper (timiz; Piper capense); or Indian long pepper (Piper longum), also sometimes used under the name "timiz"

5 whole cloves (krenfud / ቅርንፉድ)

1 tsp Ethiopian holy basil (besobela / በሶቢላ)

1 tsp rue seeds (tena Adam / ጤናዳም; Ruta chalepenesis)

1 tsp Ethiopian rape seeds / Ethiopian mustard seeds (Brassica carinata), or substitute niger seeds (Guizotia abyssinica)

1 tsp koseret (ኮሰረት; Lippia abyssinica) (optional)

2 tsp salt

Berbere preparations vary from household to household, and spices may be added, removed, or rebalanced according to your preference. Less common inclusions are marked as optional; the spices and herbs that are the most vital are bolded.

See end notes for information on spices and substitions.

Instructions:

1. Heat a dry skillet over medium. Roast fenugreek, agitating occasionally, until it has considerably darkened to a medium brown. Set aside. Toast cinnamon, cloves, and korerima for a few minutes until fragrant and set aside.

2. Toast smaller whole spices (carom and nigella seeds) for a few minutes until fragrant and set aside.

3. Remove the pan from heat. Toast ground spices (ginger, paprika) for 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant.

4. Use a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder to grind all ingredients to a fine consistency. Pass through a fine mesh strainer and store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.

Notes on spices and herbs

Ethiopian brown chili pepper / berbere

Known as "berbere" in Ethiopia, Ethiopian brown chilis have a rich, smoky, and tangy heat. Dried Ethiopian brown chilis or chili flakes may be purchased online, or you may substitute another type of chili (my choice would be New Mexico).

Paprika

Different varieties of paprika are all made of dried, toasted, and ground red bell peppers, but they vary in heat and in smokiness. For berbere you will need sweet paprika (not smoked paprika, hot paprika, or smoked hot paprika). The proportion of berbere to paprika can be varied a bit according to your preference to produce a milder or hotter blend, but beware of recipes calling for large amounts of paprika—berbere should be mostly chilis!

Dehydrated shallot

Shallots have a flavor similar to those of garlic and onion, but subtler and milder. Dehydrated shallot may be purchased at speciality spice stores, or online—or you can dehydrate thinly sliced shallots in a dehydrator or in an oven on low. Red onion powder is a possible substitute, as red onions are commonly used in place of shallots by people of Ethiopian descent in the United States.

Korerima / false cardamom

Korerima is also known as "grains of paradise," "black cardamom," or "false cardamom." Some recipes mistakenly call for Nepal cardamom in place of korerima, because Nepal cardamom is also known as "black cardamom" in English. The aroma of korerima once ground, though, is much more akin to that of green cardamom than to the smoky, camphorous aroma of Nepal cardamom.

Fenugreek / abish

Fenugreek seeds may be found in any halaal grocery store, where they may be called fenugreek or methi.

Carom seeds / nech azmud

Carom seeds may be found in any halaal grocery store, where they will be known as ajwain. You may also see these referred to as "white cumin" or "caraway seeds" in English, but don't confuse them with true caraway seeds (Carum carvi), which are larger.

Nigella seeds / tikur azmud

Because "tikur azmud" literally translates to "black cumin" in English, some recipes make the mistake of calling for kala jeera (Indian black cumin)—however, the seeds are from different plants entirely. "Tikur azmud" refers to the seeds of the Nigella sativa plant, which are known as nigella seeds in English cooking and kalonji in Indian cooking.

Ceylon cinnamon

Ceylon or true cinnamon is a variety of cinnamon commonly grown in Ceylon, Sri Lanka; it has a subtler, more nuanced and less bitter flavor than cassia cinnamon. Because it must be rolled by hand (unlike cassia cinnamon, which curls naturally), it tends to be more expensive than cassia. If you can't locate any Ceylon cinnamon, though, cassia is a good substitution.

Holy basil / besobela

Ethiopian holy basil is a subspecies of basil whose flowers have a distinctive fruity or tea-like aroma. Some recipes call for basil in place of besobela, but to my nose the aromas are nothing alike; I would favor camomile as a substitution, or omit the herb altogether.

Rue seeds / tena adam

"Tena Adam" (lit., "health of Adam) or "rue" is an aromatic plant the dried fruits of which are used in spice blends including berbere (the leaves are often used to flavor coffee). Ethiopian rue may be purchased online, or you may substitute for it a pinch of lemon or orange zest.

Long pepper / timiz

The berries of Piper capense, also known as African long pepper or Ethiopian long pepper. Piper capense grows across west Africa, south Africa, and the horn of Africa. Timiz is smoky, camphorous, and resinous, not as spicy or sharp as black or white pepper. Piper longum (Indian long pepper) berries, which are sharper in taste, are best known for their cultivation in Southeast Asia, but they are also grown and eaten in East Africa and may also be referred to as "timiz." In the U.S. and Europe, Ethiopian long pepper may be found online, or at a speciality African foods store, where it will be labelled "timiz"; Indian long pepper may be found at an Indian or halaal grocery store, where it will be labelled "pippali."

Salt

Traditional berbere blends typically contain salt. I tend to omit it, as it allows for more control over the salt content of a dish later on.

[phae-undergrove]

HERMES

ROMAN NAME:Mercury

✉️Messenger of the Gods & God of Commerce, Travelers, Thieves, & Athletes✉️

🎨COLOURS: Gold, Yellow, Orange, Silver, Grey, Green

🌬ELEMENT: Air

🗓DAY OF THE WEEK: Wednesday

🌱PLANTS + TRESS: The crocus (particularly the saffron variety), the moly, the strawberry tree, the palm tree, the almond tree, the silver birch tree

💎STONES & GEMS: Hematite, Agate, Yellow topaz, Amber, Citrine, Emerald, Peridot, Red marble

💨INCENSE: Frankincense, Camphor, Myrrh, Saffron, Dragon's blood, Cloves, Nettles, Mace, Musk, White sandalwood, Tobacco, Storax

🕊SYMBOLS: Winged sandals, Winged helmet, Caduceus (winged staff entwined with serpents), Purse or pouch, Traveler's cloak, Lyre, Panpipes, Roosters, Tortoises, Hares, Rams, Hawks, Snakes

🪙OFFERINGS: Anything made of silver or containing mercury, Currency (including foreign currency), Crocuses, Panpipes, Saffron, Strawberries, Chocolate, Wheat, Honey, Lemons, Almonds, Cassia, Cinnamon, Pork or mutton, Any type of foreign food, Spring water, Coffee, Energy drinks, Wine/mead, German beer, Brightly colored eggs, Traveling abroad or trading with foreigners, Playing harmless practical jokes, Comforting a dying loved one, letters

ART BY: FallFox on DeviantArt

ART BY: FedericaCostantini on ArtStation

If you like this check out GREEK DEITIES P1

[conjuremanj]

Haints: Ghosts and Evil Spirits from the Old South

What exactly is a "haint"?

Haint is an old southern word for a specific type of ghost or evil spirit. Belief in haints probably originated with the Gulla Geechee people, descendants of African slaves in the southern country like Louisiana, Haints are malicious ghosts, often seeking to steal or harm naughty children (maybe used as a story to make unruly children behave?

Let’s look at the first question, Why The Color Blue? A color specifically for protection against ghosts. The color blue represented water, the spirits could not cross over water, and painting the ceilings, door frames, and window trims tricked the ghosts and spirits into thinking it was water and they would not cross it to enter the house.

There are many traditions, customs, and beliefs that are still being practiced today. For instance, people believe in dark magic. and paint their doors "haint blue" in order to ward off evil spirits and witches. (Old witch's durning the time when everything was thought to be evil) In the south, historic homes often feature a special hue of blue paint on the ceilings of their big, covered porches, or window shutters, sills, and doors blue.

Haints are restless spirits of the dead who, for whatever reason, have not moved on from their physical world.

How to get rid of haints: According to lore, these are some tried-and-true methods for distracting or getting rid of haints: (Read my bottle tree post)

Bottle Tree - The bottle tree originated in Africa and migrated to the US. The bottles are said to catch wandering spirits at night, and hold them until they can be destroyed by the sunshine of daytime.

News Paper: Haints can't resist certain repetitive tasks, such as reading newspapers pasted onto walls, or counting the straws in a broom, or grains of rice. The idea is to distract and frustrate the haunts, who keep losing count and starting over again repeatedly. The haunts will be forced to leave as morning approaches, I personally can't say it's true but I do know the newspapers are still put on the windows and stuff and then so in the walls.

Clean the house - Burn sage or incense. Mop the floors with pine and camphor, or a good floor wash.

How Do I Know I Caught A Haint In The Bottle? If you find a bottle flipped over, you caught one. If you use incense and the smoke from that incense falls into the bottle you got one in it.. That's the Traditional way of knowing.

[vrtherbal005]

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