Hibiscus Tea - the Nectar of the Pharaohs

Hibiscus tea was the drink of the pharaohs and was thought to give them vitality and act as a preventative to many diseases. Today scients have undertaken much research on the benefits of hibiscus tea and have found it to be an extraordinary tonic to the circulatory system.
It is documented that three cups a day over a three month period will regulate blood pressure and it is indicated in cases of atherosclerosis, angina and disorders of the blood. In addition it is also a tonic to the immune system.
Please note: If you are on medication or are under medical supervision for any disorders of the heart or circulatory system please contact your GP in the first instance.
Hibiscus tea can be ordered from 'Mrs Darley's Herbal' at mrsdarley@btinternet.com and is £1.95 per 25grams (P&P £3.95)

May Changes

Today sees the new moon in Gemini and indicates a time when we may be undecided as to where to go and what to do. This is accentuated by the solar eclipse, a powerful event which will shape our lives for the next 6 months regardless of whether we can actually see it from our stance on the earth or not. This morning it was visible from Southern China, Japan, and the Western U|SA.

This next 6 months is a time for new beginnings, to cast away that which no longer serves our highest good, whether on a personal, or global scale and although the ground beneath our feet may not feel quite as firm as it might for a while, reast assured that any sweeping changes will ultimately be for the good.

The Element of Air

Usually by now the element of fire is making itself known as spring edges ever closer to summer, but with continuing cool winds we are still very much much in the hands of air. For me, being very much a lover of the air element, this is fine, but I know many are anxious for a touch of fire to warm the lengthening days.
Mrs Darley however gave me an appreciation of air at a barbeque we attended together one summer's evening, following the telling of a legend as to why jasmine only releases its perfume at night.
'What a sad yet beautiful story,' I said.
'Out of sadness a moment of beauty is eventually born,' she replied gazing into the far distance. 'Of course, without the element of air, nothing we have spoken about in the last few minutes could be experienced.'
'What do you mean?' I asked.
'Well dancing demands that you slice through the air with movement. Music and words require their vibration to be carried through the air to our eardrums and evocative aromas are brought to our notice on the air, like tonight's jasmine. In fact our laughter, our words, our very breath are transmitted, carried and made possdible by this precious element. We should choose our words carefully my dear, for they are forever caught within the energy of air.'
'Yet something else I have come to appreciate,' I smiled.
'And experiencing appreciation is a step closer to knowing the Divine,' she said as she turned her attention towards the buffet.
From 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Elements'

Full Super Moon in Scorpio

At 4.35 BST, the moon hangs full in our skies - but this is no ordinary moon. This is a super moon, the term used to describe the largest and brightest full moon of the year, due to the fact that the moon is at its Perigee (closest to earth). As a result it is 14 x larger than the other moons of the year and 30 x brighter. If the clouds are kind enough to part just to give us a glimpse of this spectacular event we should perhaps offer a word of thanks to Diana, Lady of the full Moon.
This super moon arrives in the sign of Scorpio which brings sex, psychic matters, secrets, transformation, morals and the truth all to the fore.

The Eta Aquarids meteor shower is also in play both tonight and tomorrow although the brightness of the moon will detract from the show which produces up to 10 meteors an hour and is best viewed in the east after midnight.
Enjoy the beauty of the heavens.
Read more in 'Mrs Darley's Moon Mysteries'

Magickal May Day

It may be raining across Britain, but nothing can dampen the joy a wedding brings and today is just such a day as the God and Goddess join together to bring about abundance and fertility during the year to come.
May Day or Beltane, honours the partnership of the masculine and the feminine, of the sun and the earth and it is worth taking a moment in order to give thanks for any type of partnership or relationship we may have in our lives.
Beltane is joyous, spontaneous and reminds us that the combination of male and female energies brings us the gift of harmony and balance.

This is also the time when (if we are lucky enough to find a patch of clear sky after dark), we will see Venus in all her heavenly beauty and it is the brightest it can possibly be when viewed from earth.
Enjoy these beautiful gifts and may both the Goddess and the God bring you many Beltane Blessings.
Read more 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Whispers'