Wise Weeds Botanicals

Friday, June 29, 2007

Study Finds Echinacea may prevent colds

Study finds echinacea may prevent colds

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

Reuters

Echinacea may not only help reduce the symptoms of a cold but may help prevent infection with some cold viruses, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

People who took echinacea had a 58 percent lower risk of catching a cold, according to the researchers, who did not study the herb's effects directly but looked at the results of 14 studies in an approach called a meta-analysis.

Study finds echinacea may prevent colds

Where to buy Echinacea Tincture

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Saturday, June 23, 2007

Summer Rises on Stonehenge solstice ritual

Summer Rises on Stonehenge solstice ritual

STONEHENGE, England -- Druids, drummers, pagans and partygoers welcomed the sun yesterday as it rose above the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge on the longest day of the year -- the summer solstice.

Clad in antlers, black cloaks and oak leaves, a group of druids danced at the Heel Stone -- a twisted, pockmarked pillar at the edge of Stonehenge.


Summer Rises on Stonehenge solstice ritual

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Thursday, June 21, 2007

Happy Summer Solstice

Happy Summer Solstice
Current mood: busy

Wishing all a happy Summer Solstice. Wow! Longest day of the year and all that.

Check out my music playlist at my myspace.

myspace.com/wiseweeds

Updated it to acknowledge the "official" start of Summer today. Used to DJ a few years ago (okay...AEONS ago) in college and loved putting sets together. So, with this neat player, and the ability to update it almost instantaneously, I plan to change up the music when holidays happen and/or the mood strikes me. Some of the music will stay the same, but I'm figuring on changing up at least the first two or three songs so it's not the SAME OLE, SAME OLE, everytime someone visits.

Got a lot happening. All good. Will share some of it here.

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Tuesday, June 19, 2007

80,000-year-old Beads Shed Light on Early Culture

Heather Whipps

Special to LiveScience
LiveScience.com
Mon Jun 18, 8:50 AM ET

Even the very first modern humans may have spruced themselves up with beaded bling.

Twelve shell beads discovered in a cave in eastern Morocco have been dated at more than 80,000 years old, making them one of the earliest examples of human culture. The beads are colored with red ochre and show signs of being strung together.

Similar beads have been found in other parts of Africa and the Middle East, suggesting the first Homo sapiens literally carried their penchant for baubles with them as they populated the world.


Read more at

80,000-year-old Beads Shed Light on Early Culture

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Thursday, June 14, 2007

Bring Back the Natives

Bring Back the Natives 

Bring Back the Natives Annual Garden Tour is scheduled for July 14,
2007, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Rain Date is July 15th.

Location: York, PA

Visit 9 diverse gardens ~ Observe native plants at their best, enjoy
wildlife habitats created by MAEscapes, view gardens without chemicals.

Tickets cost: Adult(in advance $8.00, Adult(day of event) $10.00,
Children under 12 years are Free

This event is sponsored by York County Master Gardeners and the
MAEscapes partners. Contact 717-840-7408.

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Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Danville’s New Public Labyrinth a Resource for Stress Reduction and Healing

Danville’s New Public Labyrinth a Resource for Stress Reduction and Healing

(Danville, IL) – A tool that has been used for centuries for stress reduction and healing is now freely available with the creation of Danville’s first public outdoor labyrinth. The labyrinth, located at Central Illinois Natural Health Clinic (CINHC) at 1012 W. Fairchild Street, is a pattern painted on the ground, forming a twisting path. People walk along this path as a form of “moving meditation,” to calm the mind and spirit.

A labyrinth differs from a maze in that it has a single path to follow from the edge to the center, and back out again; there are no branches or dead ends. In the center, people often choose to spend time in reflection, prayer, or contemplation before moving out. Walking the path of the labyrinth can symbolize many things: the twisting journey of life, the back-and-forth inner debate about a problem, or the constant chatter of the mind. Whatever the interpretation, the very act of navigating the labyrinth has a calming effect on the mind and spirit.

In the past, labyrinths were located in churches, cathedrals, and other sacred locations. Walking the labyrinth was an external symbol of a spiritual journey. Modern Americans have been rediscovering this ancient tool for personal and spiritual transformation in recent years. According to Dr. Lauren Artress, author of Walking a Sacred Path, the labyrinth can be used for different purposes. Some walkers have the same goal as seekers in the past—focusing on the soul. Others find that the reduction in stress is a valuable part of dealing with grief, pain, or physical health issues. Still others use it as a key to unlock their creativity and potential.

“I am very excited to be able to provide this tool freely to our community,” says Dr. Andrew R. Peters, chiropractor and naturopathic physician with CINHC. “I have walked other labyrinths in the past, and have always found it valuable for calming and centering the mind. I wished that Danville had a labyrinth, so we decided to make it a reality.” The next closest outdoor public labyrinth is located in Crystal Lake Park in Urbana.

“I think that having this labyrinth so close to Provena United Samaritans Medical Center is important,” Peters adds. “Dealing with serious illness is very stressful for staff and family members of patients. This is just one more means to help with coping day by day.”

Dr. Peters provided the space for this pattern, which was designed by Jim Griner of Hoopeston. He based the design upon the thirteenth-century labyrinth at the Chartres Cathedral in France. The circular outline, in the southwest corner of the clinic’s parking lot, measures about twenty-two feet in diameter. Following the path to the center and back out again takes about 30-40 minutes at an easy pace.

The labyrinth was created on May 31, 2007, by Griner, of Hoopeston, Peters, Susan Dancing Star of Danville, and Virginia Smith of Danville. CINHC has books and articles about the labyrinth, its meaning, and its use, available during regular office hours (Monday through Friday 8:30am-5:00pm; closed Thursday).

For more information:

Artress, Lauren. Walking a Sacred Path. New York: Riverhead Books, 1995.

Central Illinois Natural Health Clinic: www.illinoisnaturalhealth.com; info@illinoisnaturalhealth.com

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