The Portal into The Temple, Liverpool, Spring 2011: Saul Hughes
Saint's Day: Aibert of Crespin Blessed Notker John Baptist de La Salle Festival: World Health Day (International) Flowering Now by Saul Hughes: Alexanders Smyrnium Olisatrum. Family: Umbelliferae. Apiaceae. Gaelic Name: Lus Na Gran Dubh. Also known as Black Lovage, Wild Celery, Horse Parsley, Macedonia Parsley, Ailsanders, petroselinium Alexandrium and Black Pot Herb. A common plant especially within coastal regions and very similar to the wild Angelica (Angelica Sylvestris) and with which it is often confused. This beautiful herb can grow to sizes of 3 to 4 foot and its delightful profuse little flowers are a food source for many, ladybugs, wasps, flies and bees that feed on nectar. The name Alexanders is derived from Alexandria, the ancient town of the Pharaohs and later in 331 BC extended into the capital city of Egypt by Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) and was so named on account of the plant being found there in large numbers. The name of the Genus Smyrnium is from the Greek meaning ‘with an aroma like the Myrrh’ and is first mentioned as such by Theophrastus (371-287 BC) the student and successor of Aristotle in the Peripatetic school, where in his Enquiry into Plants, book 9.3-4 says: ‘Now the juice of Alexanders is like the Myrrh’. The name of the genus Olisatrum comes from the Latin ‘Olus’ (A pot herb) and ‘Atrum’ (Black). The name of the family order it belongs to Umbelliferae (Carrot family) is derived the Latin ‘Umbella’ meaning parasol or umbrella on account of the many little flowers of this order being arranged into umbrella shaped heads a characteristic of the of all plants in the carrot family. It is also grouped into the family order of Apiaceae (Celery Family) a family group of aromatic hollowed stemmed plants. The name Apiaceae is derived from the Latin ‘Apis’ meaning bee, as the plants of this order attract many bees to their beautiful florets. Either family name of Umbelliferae or Apiaceae can be used and are both valid under the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN) which was started on May the first, 1753, with the publication of the Species Plantarum by Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778). The plant was formerly known as petroselinium (Petro ‘Rock’) (Selinium ‘Celery’) Alexandrium (From Alexandria); This former name gave rise to folk name of ‘Wild Celery’ and petroselinium also is the origin of the plant name parsley (petroselinium Crispum), the other folk names of ‘Ailsanders’ is derived from Alexandria were it was found, ‘Macedonia Parsley’ is derived from the birth place of Alexander the Great who gave his name to the capital city in ancient Egypt. The name Black Lovage comes from the black seeds of this plant and its resemblance to the Lovage (Levisticum Officinale), it was known as ‘horse parsley’ to Pliny the Elder (23 AD – 79 AD) who calls it as thus in his Natural History, because of the fondness as a food plant for horses and its resemblance to the parsley (Petroselinium Crispum) Medicinally the whole plant is Diuretic (Elevates Urination), Bitter (causes a response in the central nervous system that initiates a cascade of other beneficial actions within the body) and Digestive (Aids the Digestion Process); it was used for the treatment of menstrual problems, wounds, to aid digestion, treating asthma and to prevent consumption. The great herbalist Nicholas Culpeper (1616 – 1654) states in his ‘Complete Herbal’ published in 1653, that it is good for ‘opening the stoppings of the liver and wonderfully helps the spleen, it’s good to remove women’s courses, to expel the after birth, to break wind and to provoke urine and that it warms a cold stomach and is effectual against the biting of serpents’. Like many ancient plants that were introduced into these Isles, it is often said that this was done by the Romans, but it is more likely that this introduction was done by the ancient Celts, who were well travelled and whose priestly cast of the Druids were well versed in the uses of plants. The flower buds were ate in salads and the roots used very much like parsnips, the leaves were used as herbs and along with the young shoots were eaten raw in salads or cooked into soups and a white sauce, the stems being used like asparagus, tasting like celery but somewhat more pungent and the spicy seeds were used as a pepper substitute. Charlemagne (742 AD-814 AD) King of the Franks and Emperor of the Romans (Imperator Romanorum) commended it to be sown in his farms, for its uses as a food source and for its medicinal qualities. Magically it is under the dominion of the planet Jupiter and was much used as an aphrodisiac and in love potions and philtres, hence its other name of ‘Lovage’. Alexanders is much loved by natures little creatures, being visited by many types of flies, wasps, beetles, butterflies and bees, so much so that it was often used as a ‘Companion Plant’, companion plants being those that were planted in close proximity to agricultural crops because of the theory that it assists them by diverting the attention of insect pests which will favour this plant more as a food source. The plant as well as being a source of food for the above is also leaf mined by the Celery Leaf Miner (Diptera tephritidae) is grazed by the adult and larva of the Celery Leaf Beetle (Coleoptera Chrysomelidae) and the root is a food source for the Weevil (Coleoptera Curxulionidae) and is prone to the attacks of the Rust Fungus (Uredinales Pucciniaceae) and the Umbellifer Downy Mildew (peronosporales Peronosporaceae) Seeds of the Alexanders were found during excavation of the medieval monastic hospital at Soutra Aisle just within the Scottish Borders, a hospital and a friary founded by Malcolm IV of Scotland known as Malcolm the Maiden.* Also on this day: 1724 – Premiere performance of Johann Sebastian Bach's St. John Passion BWV 245 at St. Nicholas Church, Leipzig. 1906 – Mount Vesuvius erupts and devastates Naples. 1927 – First distance public television broadcast (from Washington, D.C. to New York City, displaying the image of Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover - wild excitement ensues). 1969 – The Internet's symbolic birth date: publication of RFC 1. 1978 – Development of the neutron bomb is cancelled by President Jimmy Carter. 1999 – The World Trade Organization rules in favor of the United States in its long-running trade dispute with the European Union over bananas. * All information regarding the uses of the plants is exactly for that informational purposes only, and that the author and owners of the web do not encourage anyone to be eating, or disturbing wild plants, but merely to admire them in their natural environment and to ponder on their rise and fall within human culture.]]> http://www.eightfoldyear.org/archive/7th_april_3.html http://www.eightfoldyear.org/archive/7th_april_3.html archive Tue, 07 May 2013 00:00:01 +0000 here. We hope you enjoy this website. We will be adding content as we go through the year and welcoming your feedback and suggestions. Onwards and Upwards!

Fritillary on balcony, Liverpool, Spring 2008: Maria Hughes
Moon Phases, May 2013: 
 Last Quarter – May 2, 11:14 New Moon – May 10, 0:28 First Quarter – May 18, 4:34 Full Moon – May 25, 4:25 Last Quarter – May 31, 18:58 -

New shoots, Liverpool, Spring 2011: Jamie Reid
Saint's Day: Brychan Peter of Verona Marcellinus of Carthage Pope Celestine I Bl. Catherine of Pallanza Æthelwold of Winchester St. Eutychius Prudentius of Troyes Notker the Stammerer Bl. Paul Tinh Pierina Morosini William of Æbelholt Festival: Chakri Day, commemorating the reign of the Chakri Dynasty. (Thailand) Tartan Day (United States) Flowering Now by Saul Hughes: Ribwort Plantain Plantago Lanceolata. Family: Plantaginaceae. Gaelic Name: Slan Lus. Also known as Snake Plantain, Long Plantain, Black Jack, Lamb’s Tongue and Kemps. A very common plant in meadow lands and growing comfortably along the roadside and land laid to waste. The name plantain and the name of the family order that this belongs to both stem from the Latin word ‘Planta’ meaning ‘sole of the foot ‘heel’ and ‘side of the foot’, and is in reference to the shape of the leaves of the major representative of this order that of plantago major whose leaves resemble the heel of a foot. The name of this species lanceolata is derived from the Latin ‘lanceolatus’ meaning armed with a lance or spear point, in relation to the shape of the leaves of this particular species. The name ribwort is in allusion to the prominent veining’s of the leaves and the name ‘wort’ is an Anglo-Saxon word for a healing plant. The Gaelic name of Slan Lus, means the healing plant. The folk names of ‘long plantain’ is in reference to the long leaves and stems of this plant, the name ‘Snake Plantain’ is in reference to the stem and flower which were thought to resemble a snake: ‘Black Jacks is in reference to the dark flower heads, ‘Lambs Tongue’ is from the leaves being slightly hairy and silver, and was thought to resemble a lamb’s tongue and the name ‘Kemps’ is from the Anglo-Saxon word ‘Cempa’ meaning a soldier and referrers to a children’s game with this plant rather like conkers were the flower heads would be struck, the loser being the one whose flower head would fall off; In Scotland this game was called ‘Carl Doddies’ and the name was derived from Charles (The Jacobite Bonny Prince) and George (Hanoverian King). The medicinal qualities of this plant are very similar to the plantago major, and both species were known as white man’s foot, as the seed travelled from Europe to the America’s and New Zealand and would spring up were ever the white man went. Medicinally it contains Apigenin (An Enzyme responsible for the metabolism of many pharmaceutical drugs in the body), Baicalein (Acts as an anti-inflammatory), Benzoic-Acid, Ascorbic-Acid, Chlorogenic-Acid, Citric-Acid, Ferulic-Acid, Ursolic-Acid and Salicylic-Acid, all of which are beneficial to the body. Its medicinal actions are: Antidote (Counter acts poisons), Anti-bacterial (Fights bacteria), Anti-inflammatory (Aids Inflammation), Anti-septic (Kills Bacteria), Anti-tussive (Treats coughing), Astringent (Constricts Body Tissue), Cardiac (Aids the Heart), Diuretic (Elevates the Rate of Urination), Deobstruent (Removes Obstructions), Demulcent (Forms a soothing film), Expectorant (Dissolves Thick Mucus), Haemostatic (Stems Bleeding), Laxative (Induces Bowel Movement), Ophthalmic (Good for the Eyes), Refrigerant (Coolant agent )and as a Vermifuge (Expels parasitic Worms). It has been used for the treatment of malignant ulcers, inflammation and wounds of the skin, intermittent fevers, for arresting haemorrhages and for the bleeding of the lungs, respiratory complaints and coughs. It was also used for treating insect bites, nettle stings, Haemorrhoids, burns and scalds. It was taken internally also for gastritis, peptic ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhoea, loss of voice and bleeding in the urinary tract. It was also used for snake bites because of the shape of the stem and the flower heads, a practice harking back to the doctrine of signatures as expounded by Dioscorides (40AD-90AD) and Galen (129AD-199/217AD) were the shape of a plant suggests what it is good for. Nicholas Culpeper (1616-1654) say’s it is good for ‘all torments or excoriations of the bowels, helps the distillations of the rheum from the head, stays all manner of fluxes even the menses of women, good for the spitting of blood and other bleedings of the mouth, good for the consumption of the lungs and ulcers thereof, the seed being good against the dropsy, the falling sickness, yellow jaundice and stoppings of the liver. The juice being good for old and hollow ulcers that are hard to cure, cancers of the mouth and private parts and applied to the head eases the pains thereof and helps lunatic and phrenetic persons very much’. The seed in former times was ground into a powder and added to flour when making bread and cakes. Magically it is under the dominion of the planet Venus, and is a protector and companion of the journeyman, as an amulet it protects against the unforeseen dangers of travel and in Ireland it is associated with Saint Patrick on account of its healing qualities resulting from snake bites and averting them if worn as a amulet. It is a food plant for the Thrip (Thrips Nigropilosus) and its larva, the Weevils (Alophus Triguttatus), (gymnetron Pascuorum), (Mecinus Circulatus), (Mecinus Pyraster), (Trichosirocalus Rufulus), (Trichosirocalus Troglodytes) and the leaves are grazed by the leaf beetles (Chrysolina Staphylaea), (Chrysolina banksi) and the leaf is mined by the leaf mining fly (Phytomyza Plantaginis)* Also on this day: 1199 – King Richard I of England dies from an infection following the removal of an arrow from his shoulder. 1320 – The Scots reaffirm their independence by signing the Declaration of Arbroath. 1327 – The poet Petrarch first sees his idealized love, Laura, in the church of Saint Clare in Avignon. 1793 – During the French Revolution, the Committee of Public Safety becomes the executive organ of the republic 1814 – Nominal beginning of the Bourbon Restoration — anniversary date that Napoleon abdicates and is exiled to Elba. (Rule by the Bourbon's was delayed a few weeks, though allies held most key locales of France.) 1895 – Oscar Wilde is arrested in the Cadogan Hotel, London after losing a libel case against the John Sholto Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry. 1919 – Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi orders a general strike. 1930 – Gandhi raises a lump of mud and salt and declares, "With this, I am shaking the foundations of the British Empire." beginning the Salt Satyagraha. * All information regarding the uses of the plants is exactly for that informational purposes only, and that the author and owners of the web do not encourage anyone to be eating, or disturbing wild plants, but merely to admire them in their natural environment and to ponder on their rise and fall within human culture.]]> http://www.eightfoldyear.org/archive/6th_april_3.html http://www.eightfoldyear.org/archive/6th_april_3.html archive Mon, 06 May 2013 00:00:01 +0000