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Reply The Blessed Be Newstand - - [guild newspapers] - - FEBRUARY 2013 NOW AVAILABLE!
December 2012

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Blessed_Scribe
Crew

PostPosted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 9:19 pm


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Blessed_Scribe
Abilities, Advanced Practitioners, Animal Totems, Astral Projection, Author of the Month, Beginner's Section, Book Review, Comics, Crystals and Gemstones, Current Affairs, Elements, Gods and Goddesses, Kitchen Witches, Meditation, Mythical Creatures, Mythology, Pagan Art, Pagan Humor, Pagan Music, Spells

If you're interested, please head on over to this thread to pick up the application. Once you've filled it out, please send it to Blessed_Scribe.

It's a paying job (Gaia gold only), so it's well worth it! biggrin


Blessed Scribe
If you've enjoyed this issue of the newsletter, or have any suggestions, please feel free to post some feedback!


Table of Contents

- Introduction
- Guild Happenings
- Member's Section
- Classified Ads
- Astrology
- Divination
- Herb Garden
- Kitchen Witches
PostPosted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 9:24 pm


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- This is the last newsletter of 2012. Please look out for our first 2013 newsletter in February!

- We celebrated Samhain/Beltane!

- We'll be celebrating Yule/Litha!

- Secret Santa!

- Dicey and the Avatar Contest are open in The Main Hall! The Copy Cat Contest and Poetry Contest are currently in the voting stage!

Blessed_Scribe
Crew


Blessed_Scribe
Crew

PostPosted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 9:25 pm


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Please welcome our new members!

Kitten Morris, rockchic73, Naokimimi, Meister_Solstice, Truthfully Insane Jane, Akihko, Neveah Boo, xFictionPrincess, Zombiex_xMistress, ll shroomie ll, Levana_Rose, i wanna be your superman, ImAHarumiBunny, Deedet-san

Please wish these members a happy birthday for the months of December and January!

December 2nd - - hidden_in_the_shadows23
December 4th - - _IceGoddess15_
December 7th - - Musical_Vampire_Socks
December 9th - - Aiedaile
December 12th - - zabazor
December 16th - - xMoonlitShadowsx
December 17th - - Wraith_92
December 20th - - Sky Raven Moon
December 27th - - no1narutofan1992

January 1st - - Elucidating Visions and Grammar Hammer
January 3rd - - Shinigami-Rem_Death-Note
January 8th - - vampire_Kitty
January 9th - - LacrymosaVampiress22/KayaTesagi
January 11th - - Kyrellyan
January 16th - - shaddowchild
January 17th - - starkbane
January 18th - - broken_bleeding_angel
January 22nd - - keltycphoenyx
January 23rd - - Zombiex_xMistress
January 24th - - SwirlingDark
January 25th - - Little-Lenah
January 27th - - FizzyFoo
January 31st - - Sanutamar

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Member's Art

If you'd like to have your art featured here, just PM Blessed_Scribe. You'll get gold for anything that you submit.
(Art is defined as poetry, short stories, excerpts from a novel, photography, sculptures, graphic design, painting, drawings, collages, etc).
PostPosted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 9:33 pm


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This is the spot where you can advertise just about anything you want.

Want to advertise your quest? Do you want to advertise something you're trying to sell? Or maybe you're looking for a mentor.

Whatever it may be, this is the place to do it!

It's completely free. All you have to do is send a PM to me, Blessed_Scribe, with your ad and which months issue you'd like it to be in. It can be as many months as you'd like, not just one.

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Blessed_Scribe
Abilities, Advanced Practitioners, Animal Totems, Astral Projection, Author of the Month, Beginner's Section, Book Review, Comics, Crystals and Gemstones, Current Affairs, Elements, Gods and Goddesses, Kitchen Witches, Meditation, Mythical Creatures, Mythology, Pagan Art, Pagan Humor, Pagan Music, Spells

If you're interested, please head on over to this thread to pick up the application. Once you've filled it out, please send it to Blessed_Scribe.

It's a paying job (Gaia gold only), so it's well worth it! biggrin


Blessed Scribe
If you've enjoyed this issue of the newsletter, or have any suggestions, please feel free to post some feedback!

Blessed_Scribe
Crew


Blessed_Scribe
Crew

PostPosted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 9:41 pm


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Astrology - Last Quarter Moon
Written by KayaTesagi

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In December the first moon phase is the Last Quarter Moon. During this phase all creatures are affected by the moon. Plants die out during winter but are preparing to grow again for the spring. Humans are similar. They lose their old structure and prepare for the new one. They call this 'Crisis in Consciousness', meaning they cannot get with the program of things and desire to change it. I believe that is where the term 'New year's resolution' came from, though that is later in the month and people start to do resolutions from the beginning of the month.

Source:
http://www.astrograph.com/learning-astrology/phases.php
PostPosted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 9:50 pm


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Divination - Cleromancy
Written by oceantail

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Cleromancy is the art of divining through the casting of dice. They aren't just for role-playing anymore. The word Cleromancy can also apply to some lot drawing practices. For this article we will focus on the dice aspect because there are many forms of lot divination but only Cleromancy includes dice.

Generally when looking into Cleromancy the tool of choice are six-sided-die; however there are methods that use other varieties. Most methods either use a single die or two dice, however three is not uncommon, any more than that becomes unusual, although there are some cases where many dice are thrown but only the ones that land within a prescribed area are counted.
In ancient times there were both marked bones and dice made from bones. It is difficult to tell when dice resembling the ones we use today derived from the more primal bones and it was quite some time after that the bones fell out of favor. The ancients used the dice for both gambling and divination.

Dice are a good tool for a new practitioner of divination, especially one who needs this practice kept secret. Dice can be purchased almost anywhere, and they generally don’t draw unwanted attention. After acquiring dice, usually inexpensively, you can probably browse the internet for various methods and interpretations. Scott Cunningham's Divination for Beginners has an explanation of a three-dice method. Also many encyclopedias of divination or magic will also include an article on Cleromancy, usually including methods and interpretations. You should keep your divining dice separate from your mundane dice, this will both avoid mixing them up, and create a subconscious respect for the tool. That's actually a key word there; treat the dice like any other magical tool. Cleromancy is a useful skill for new and old practitioners of divination, and can be an accessible tool for a wide variety of people.

Sources:

Divination for beginners, Scott Cunningham
http://www.themystica.org/mystica/articles/c/cleromancy.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dice (dice history)

Blessed_Scribe
Crew


Blessed_Scribe
Crew

PostPosted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 11:54 pm


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Herb Garden - Allspice (Pimenta Officinalis)
Written by Materu Shioni

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Gender: Masculine
Planets: Mars, Venus
Elements: Fire, Earth
Associated Deities: Aphrodite, Venus
Magickal Uses: Communication, Compassion, Determination, Energy, Healing, Money, Luck

Common Names: Clove pepper, Jamaica pepper, Pimento
Medicinal Part: Fruit
Description: Allspice is the dried berry of the pimento, an evergreen tree growing as high as 40 feet in the West Indies, South America, Central America, and Mexico. It bears opposite, leathery, *oblong to oblong-lanceolate leaves whose *pinnately arranged veins show prominently on the underside. Small white flowers grow in many flowered *cymes in the upper leaf *axils from June to August. The fruit is a fleshy, sweet berry which is purplish-black when ripe. The berries used for allspice, however, are collected when they have reached full size but are not yet ripe. The name comes from the berry’s taste, which has been described as a combination of cloves, juniper berries, cinnamon, and pepper.
Properties and Uses: *Aromatic, *carminative, *stimulant. Pimento water and oil of pimento are useful in cases of *flatulent indigestion or simple flatulence; the oil has also been recommended for hysterical *paroxysms. Taken with *laxatives, the oil lessens the tendency to *gripe; the water also makes a good vehicle for less *palatable medicines. Put into a bath or used as an ointment, allspice is said to have some *anesthetic effects. Allspice makes a stimulating *plaster for *rheumatism and *neuralgia.
Preparation and Dosage:
Pimento Water: Combine 5 parts crushed berries with 200 parts water and distil down to half the original volume. A dose is from 1 to 2 fluid ounces.
Oil: A dose is from 2 to 5 drops. For flatulence, take 2 or 3 drops on sugar.
Powder: A dose is from 10 to 30 grains.
Plaster: Boil crushed berries in water until the mixture is thick enough to spread on a linen cloth.

Glossary:
oblong: flat; rectangular or oval in shape
pinnately: arranged on either side of the stem; branching off
cymes: a flat-topped cluster of flowers in which the central/terminal flower opens first
axils: the angle formed by a stem/trunk with a branch, leaf stalk, or flower stalk growing from it
aromatic: fragrant
carminative: relieves flatulence
stimulant: raises the activity
flatulent: gas
paroxysms: a sudden recurrence or attack of a disease or worsening symptoms
laxatives: increases clearing of the bowels (intestines)
gripe: intestinal pain
palatable: safe to be eaten
anesthetic: develops insensitivity to pain
plaster: powder from which a substance is made
rheumatism: any disease marked by inflammation and pain in the joints, muscles, or fibrous tissue
neuralgia: intense, typically irregularly patterned pain along the course of a nerve

Source(s):
EARTH WITCHERY: Magickal Uses of Herbs
OOCITIES: Herbs, Flowers, and Trees
The Herb Book by John B. Lust
PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 12:46 am


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Parsnips and Cranberries
Provided by koudelkaW


Herby Artichoke Casserole

2 tbsp olive oil
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 parsnip, chopped
1 turnip, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
1 tsp lemon thyme leaves
500ml/18fl oz vegetable stock
400g/14oz canned flageolet beans
200g/7oz jar artichoke hearts, drained
2 tbsp chopped parsley

1. Add the oil, celery, onion, carrots, parsnip and turnip to a large pan.

2. Put the herbs into the pan and fry until soft and browning slightly. Add the stock and simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Add the beans and artichokes and simmer for another five minutes. Add the chopped parsley at the end and serve.

Taken from here.

Double Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh or frozen cranberries


1. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars in large bowl until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture and oats and stir until blended. Stir in all chocolate chips and cranberries.

2. Drop batter by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until edges are light brown, about 16 minutes. Cool on sheets 5 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool completely.

3. Stir chopped milk chocolate in top of double boiler until melted and smooth. Using small spoon, drizzle melted chocolate over cookies in zigzag pattern. Let stand until milk chocolate sets, about 1 hour. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.)

Taken from here.

Blessed_Scribe
Crew

Reply
The Blessed Be Newstand - - [guild newspapers] - - FEBRUARY 2013 NOW AVAILABLE!

 
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