The Transformative Powers of Herbal Tea

Herbal tea has always been celebrated as possessing medicinal qualities that help with many illnesses, from fighting off a virus to stopping nausea and vomiting. What to look for and what to avoid Some fruit teas contain synthetic ingredients. These additives don’t taste as good as the real thing, and they have no real therapeuticContinue reading “The Transformative Powers of Herbal Tea”

10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet 189

Printer Solistice: Poet, Mathematician and Meteorologist Wang Zhenyi (1768-1797) Story and screenprint art by artist, printmaker and marine geophysicist, Ele Willoughby, PhD (she/her) on Mastodon. Astronomer, mathematician, meteorologist & poet Wang Zhenyi (1768-1797), who left her impact on Qing era China during her short life. Raised by her father and grandparents, her ancestral home wasContinue reading “10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet 189”

Ancient word of the day: Hedgehog

The ancient word for today is hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus. In the Middle Ages, writers didn’t make reference to hedgehogs, but to urchins. This term for the spiky diminuitive animal is still favoured in some English dialects. We still have the lingering remnants of this etymology in the form of sea urchin, which is literally aContinue reading “Ancient word of the day: Hedgehog”

Welcome to a strange and forgotten alien world: Socotra

Looking like a cross between a surreal computer game and an alien planet, Socotra is a relatively unexplored and remote island off the coast of Arabian Peninsula. It’s a sparkling diamond of natural diversity and rugged wildness, with over 700 endemic species of flora and fauna. Only a small number of countries have more endemicContinue reading “Welcome to a strange and forgotten alien world: Socotra”

10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet 188

How the ancient Egyptians made dazzling faience amulets Archaeologist and sculptor Zahed Taj-Eddin shows how to make this ancient and mysterious form of art, it’s incredible! Orbital – Halcyon On and on (Faster Horses Edit) [1993] I shared this one ages and ages ago but I just heard it again and it chilled me toContinue reading “10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet 188”

All About Māori Kite Making

There are 17 types of Māori kites. Traditionally made from strong timber framing like manuka wood they were woven with flax and the paper and bark of the mulberry plant until the plant went virtually extinct. Birdman kites have a powerful symbolism for all Māori iwi including for my own, Ngaī Tamanuhiri and Ngā Puhi.Continue reading “All About Māori Kite Making”

10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet 187

The mind replays what the heart wants to heal Iconoclast and Rebel Peaches opens up her mind on Amoeba’s channel One of the most singular and outre artists in the world Peaches visits the Amoeba shop and picks out her fav albums and films. This was interesting because she has some pretty wild choices includingContinue reading “10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet 187”

Book Review: Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan by Shikibu Murasaki

A life-affirming collection of Japanese writing and poetry from the 11th Century AD. Written by aristocratic ladies in waiting to the empress of Japan they reflect the preoccupations, passions and obsessions of women born long long ago.

Netsuke & Gashapon toys Ancient Japanese treasures and modern collectibles

Netsuke are uniquely Japanese and sublime in their beauty. They are tiny objects carved of ivory, ceramic, wood, tortoise-shell, gold or many other materials. They tell the story of the culture of Japan during the old Edo period and before. Netsuke featured fishermen and farmers, who rubbed shoulders with scholars, samurai warriors, royalty and evenContinue reading “Netsuke & Gashapon toys Ancient Japanese treasures and modern collectibles”

10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet 186

Excellent channel Lina’s Thobe explains the importance of Palestinian Tatreez Palestinian tatreez isn’t “just embroidery.” For centuries, it’s been a visual language — carrying the names of villages, the colors of seasons, and the stories of displacement and survival. In this video, I share how one humble stitch became a way to map a homeland,Continue reading “10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet 186”