New Worlds of Body, Mind & Spirit Since 1901
| The main entrance to your home is a very magical place. Household spirits are thought to dwell there and your threshold also serves as a protective buffer between your living space and the outside world. Now that the weather is warm, it's a good time to create some positive magical energy around your front door. Begin by giving the space a good physical cleaning. Get rid of any cobwebs and dirt. Sprinkle a bit of salt outside your front door, and sweep it away from your home to clear away any bad vibrations. Place a few plants on your porch or by your door. Ferns, potted or hanging, are protective and are loved by the fairy folk. Red geraniums are protective and energizing, while pink geraniums draw love. A rose quartz placed near the door brings peace. To let your house spirits know they're welcome, hide an old key you no longer need near your front door. Then grab a good book and a comfy chair and enjoy your magical threshold.
Holiday lore: Opinions are divided concerning the origins of the holiday of Memorial Day in the United States. This is a day set aside for honoring the graves of American war dead. While most historians credit the origins of the custom to Southern women, there is also a rumor, historically speaking, of an anonymous German who fought in the American Civil War (no one is sure on which side). At the end of the war, this soldier was allegedly overheard commenting that in the Old World people scattered flowers on the graves of dead soldiers. In May 1868, a Union army general suggested to Commander John A. Logan that a day be set aside each year to decorate Union graves. Logan agreed, and he set aside May 30 for this ritual. His proclamation acknowledged those "who died in defense of their country" and "whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, or hamlet churchyard in the land." This patriotic holiday was later amended to include all the dead from all the wars, and its date was shifted to a convenient Monday late in May. |
