Traveling within the World
The Village Pub
This is a place for all of us to come together to meet one another share ideas of things to come and get to know each other.
This is a place for all of us to come together to meet one another share ideas of things to come and get to know each other.
Denise Morgan (Helping Hand)
Traveling Within The World now has 219 votes towards this years awards
We can get the Silver this year!
Mar 12, 2012
Denise Morgan (Helping Hand)
Please get your vote out there... can vote every day once a day!
http://1award.co.uk/addvote.php?vote=9400
Mar 12, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Great Spirit, when I know You, only then do I know me. Help me today to know You.
Mar 13, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
ZODIACAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR TODAY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): You want to be original but may only end up copying another's style. Practice in private, until you have a take that you can consider your own. Try a variety of approaches until you find one that flows naturally and easily.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Education necessarily involves controversy today. Expect to get into arguments but never take them personally. Accept new facts and different but workable ways of approach. Argue to learn what you don't already know.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You gravitate to social problems now but it's a day for learning about the issues. Many have a gut reaction to unfairness but go past that now and learn what's really happening and learn about what you can do as a solution.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): You're prone to have radical solutions to social issues. You might get some people to agree with you, while alienating the majority. It's important to clarify whether you want an effective solution or want merely to be shocking.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You encounter people who get you thinking. You become alert to alternatives you hadn't thought of. You discover that you've been suppressing the ability to think independently, so make up for lost time.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You're involved with a campaign to change ideas. Your zeal is something you're not accustomed to. Just be aware that you must appeal to what people have in common, not to what separates them.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): A strong personality can make a strong impression on you. You are attracted to the certainty, which contrasts with your inner confusion, but you may mistake specific beliefs as the cause of the certainty. Careful evaluation isn't uncertainty.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You're involved with a struggle for control or influence. You feel that powerful people are hurting the masses and you struggle to wrest control in the marketplace of ideas. Real change begins in the beliefs of ever-larger groups of people.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You want quick analysis and instant results. The reality is that there must be thorough study and careful conclusions. You want to jump from project to project but focused dedication is necessary.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Place the proper education of inexperienced people first today. You will need a new generation to follow in your footsteps so, if you care for society, for your institution, for your future well-being, you will do it well.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Sharp disagreements develop now. Beware of underhanded methods of resolving the conflicts; someone isn't playing fair. It's likely the quiet party who needs to speak up is the one who needs to be watched.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You're hard-driving and energetic today and you may little patience with people who are more relaxed. Don't get angry but let people know from the beginning who is giving the orders.
Mar 13, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Mar 13, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Mar 13, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
ZODIACAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR TODAY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): You are keen on turning success into a visible gain. You purchase something you've been wanting. You can impress people with something new, and possibly expensive. You work hard to deserve benefits.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You take an active role in bringing about understanding and consensus. There are many teaching moments now and you insist that people learn. You have a pleasant approach at first but won't be ignored.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You are deeply compassionate today. You contribute to charities or provide free service to the needy. Answer an appeal to come to the aid of those in distress.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): You are focused on ensuring your place in an important organization, probably the one that employs you. Many emphasize the social aspects, understanding that who you know is very important to success.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Your public image is very favorable but can also be very controversial. For the moment, positive reviews outnumber your detractors. It's important to ensure that you don't make any missteps.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You want to bring together different areas of knowledge into more integration. You may also have to extend your knowledge beyond what it is already. Expect criticism but follow your instincts until you have what you want.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Your actions are more for the benefit of others than for yourself in the present. You accumulate resources for later use. It's important to save up money and material and not waste them on whimsical desires.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): It is easy to work together with people today. There is a shared agenda that seems necessary to push, so there is also an opponent in the background of your actions. It is easy to act when a common enemy is identified.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You take an active role at your job today. People need to be brought together and brought onto the same page. Cooperation and coordination is an essential feature of making everyone happy now.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You want to make a dramatic impact on people today. You want to be loved and respected but it can also be something that you expect and demand, rather than earn. Be aware of points when you can fade into the background.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You are busy mostly at home or in taking care of relatives. Family members take first importance now and you dote over details and take charge in emergencies. All family business is your business.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You love sharing information, the more the better. It can now seem that data need to be archived and disseminated. Secrets need to be shared carefully but also in ways to ensure they don't get lost.
Mar 14, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
My Creator, let me feel the connectedness to all things. Let me know the lessons I need to learn today. Above all, let me feel my connectedness to You.
Mar 14, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Mar 14, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Mar 14, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Mar 15, 44 B.C.:
The ides of March: Julius Caesar is murdered
Julius Caesar, the "dictator for life" of the Roman Empire, is murdered by his own senators at a meeting in a hall next to Pompey's Theatre. The conspiracy against Caesar encompassed as many as sixty noblemen, including Caesar's own protege, Marcus Brutus.
Caesar was scheduled to leave Rome to fight in a war on March 18 and had appointed loyal members of his army to rule the Empire in his absence. The Republican senators, already chafing at having to abide by Caesar's decrees, were particularly angry about the prospect of taking orders from Caesar's underlings. Cassius Longinus started the plot against the dictator, quickly getting his brother-in-law Marcus Brutus to join.
Caesar should have been well aware that many of the senators hated him, but he dismissed his security force not long before his assassination. Reportedly, Caesar was handed a warning note as he entered the senate meeting that day but did not read it. After he entered the hall, Caesar was surrounded by senators holding daggers. Servilius Casca struck the first blow, hitting Caesar in the neck and drawing blood. The other senators all joined in, stabbing him repeatedly about the head.
Marcus Brutus wounded Caesar in the groin and Caesar is said to have remarked in Greek, "You, too, my child?" In the aftermath of the assassination, Antony attempted to carry out Caesar's legacy. However, Caesar's will left Octavian in charge as his adopted son. Cassius and Brutus tried to rally a Republican army and Brutus even issued coins celebrating the assassination, known as the Ides of March. Octavian vowed revenge against the assassins, two years later Cassius and Brutus committed suicide after learning that Octavian's forces had defeated theirs at the Battle of Philippa in Greece.
Antony took his armies east, where he hooked up with Caesar's old paramour, Cleopatra. Octavian and Antony fought for many years until Octavian prevailed. In 30 B.C., Antony committed suicide. Octavian, later known as Augustus, ruled the Roman Empire for many more years.
Mar 15, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Mar 15, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
ZODIACAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR TODAY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): You want to belong to something bigger than yourself but still retain individuality. For many, this involves being accepted in a job or a family group, while having a great deal of discretion in decisions and actions.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You want to get involved in group action today. You're feeling idealistic but with an inability to take the lead yourself, you require someone else to give directions, but you motivate others.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Tensions rise today. An impending situation has you either waiting or ready to get involved. Beware of being whipped into a frenzy by propaganda of some sort. Dig past the claims to get at hidden information.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): This is a good day to relax with trusted associates and let down your hair. Set aside pretenses and share your thoughts and feelings. Listen to what others have to say. Get a deeper connection through your stories.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): It is hard to stick to a routine without a variation. You seek ways to diversify your interests, your investments, your activities. You also don't want to be a loner. Look for like-minded groups to join.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You don't like making compromises today. You feel that a solution has already been found and should be accepted. Further negotiations seem like a waste of time or like stalling. You want to move forward quickly.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): There is both a separation and a union today. What they involve will likely cause a reversal of the present situation. It is very important that you exercise common sense and objectivity and not be swayed by vague feelings.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You are very creative and imaginative today but may find it hard to find ways to apply them. You require a partner who is grounded but who can take your unusual ideas sympathetically and run with them.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You feel a lot of pressure from authorities today. Performance and deadlines are at issue, as could be obedience. There is a buildup of excitement or even dread. Don't consider bad results inevitable; intervene.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You're very sensitive to the needs of your family. Some may become fully engaged in what's going on while others will want to escape it completely. You essentially want to change the situation proactively or passively.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You can become interested in unsolved mysteries and strange phenomena today. You are willing to credit the supernatural, or some particular part of it, as possibly being real and you want to know more.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): A sudden crisis causes emergency action now. Hopefully, you are prepared. You go into overdrive to meet an unexpected situation, after which you feel exhausted. Don't get reckless as this could make problems worse.
Mar 15, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
"We were taught generosity to the poor and reverence for the Great Mystery. Religion was the basis of all Indian training."
-- Charles A. Eastman (Ohiyesa), SANTEE SIOUX
Every Indian knows and has a feeling inside that, bottom line, our real purpose on earth is to be of service to our fellow man and to be of maximum service to the Great Spirit. The Creator designed the earth to be self supporting - everything is interconnected and all things were created to be of service to each other. The Indian way is to pray about all things. Religion is not separate from any part of our lives. Everything is spiritual and we are to view all matters in this way. Family is spiritual, work is spiritual, helping others is spiritual, our bodies are spiritual, our talk is spiritual, our thoughts are spiritual. We need to practice seeing all things as spiritual.
Great Spirit, today let me help the needy and allow me the wisdom to have respect and reverence for Your teachings.
Mar 15, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Mar 15, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Great Mystery, let me see and know about the sacredness of life
Mar 16, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
ZODIACAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR TODAY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): An attempt at making change has shown some success, and you feel encouraged to continue. It's important to be very mindful not only of what you have done but its social context as well, do discern what to continue and for how long.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Look at what has proved successful in the recent past and take your cue from that. Situations are in flux so you must adapt procedures to current events. Don't get locked into just one way of doing things.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Change starts close to home today but your actions quickly extend communitywide. It's important that your efforts at reform have personal relevance. Don't get involved in something abstract that doesn't apply to you.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Your focus moves to your career or job now. You want to bring the week to a successful conclusion. While there can be new and unexpected developments, you can easily incorporate them into your work plan.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You can be asked to do things that don't have any personal importance, yet may be for the greater good. Extend yourself in this direction as in the process you will learn many valuable skills.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You're challenged to handle money responsibly. For many, this could involve their own savings and investments. For others, it involves corporate funds or others' investments. All should be aware of looming changes; mind the deep trends!
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You use generosity as the means to effect change but you need to consider many different kinds of generosity, not just monetary. You can be a resource pointing people in the right direction.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): It can seem more important to advance yourself and easy to neglect an important partner. Be mindful of the people you're involved with and be sensitive to their feelings and needs.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): An opportunity for change is apparent now. All you have to do is set your life and circumstances in order to be able to step into it. Additionally, belief in yourself is a powerful help.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A professional opportunity could develop but it conflicts with a personal relationship. You need to make the two of them work with each other. You need both of them in order to live happily.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You have a strong sense about how to alter your life but it may disagree with that preferred by family members. You need to follow what makes you happy in the long run and this also involves your ability to live and think freely.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You realize that life is a collection of chances but that your task is to select out the opportunities. Events seem for chaotic today but they are also more full of choices for making a better life.
Mar 16, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Mar 16, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Mar 16, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Happy Fairy Friday!
Just a reminder ... we weren’t meant to go through life unhappy. That's why there’s glitter. =)
That's all ... I hope this helped put a smile on your face =)
<3 Twig
Mar 16, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
On this day March 17th in 461 A.D., Saint Patrick, Christian missionary, bishop and apostle of Ireland, dies at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland.
Much of what is known about Patrick's legendary life comes from the Confessio, a book he wrote during his last years. Born in Great Britain, probably in Scotland, to a well-to-do Christian family of Roman citizenship, Patrick was captured and enslaved at age 16 by Irish marauders. For the next six years, he worked as a herder in Ireland, turning to a deepening religious faith for comfort. Following the counsel of a voice he heard in a dream one night, he escaped and found passage on a ship to Britain, where he was eventually reunited with his family.
According to the Confessio, in Britain Patrick had another dream, in which an individual named Victoricus gave him a letter, entitled "The Voice of the Irish." As he read it, Patrick seemed to hear the voices of Irishmen pleading him to return to their country and walk among them once more. After studying for the priesthood, Patrick was ordained a bishop. He arrived in Ireland in 433 and began preaching the Gospel, converting many thousands of Irish and building churches around the country. After 40 years of living in poverty, teaching, traveling and working tirelessly, Patrick died on March 17, 461 in Saul, where he had built his first church.
Since that time, countless legends have grown up around Patrick. Made the patron saint of Ireland, he is said to have baptized hundreds of people on a single day, and to have used a three-leaf clover--the famous shamrock--to describe the Holy Trinity. In art, he is often portrayed trampling on snakes, in accordance with the belief that he drove those reptiles out of Ireland. For thousands of years, the Irish have observed the day of Saint Patrick's death as a religious holiday, attending church in the morning and celebrating with food and drink in the afternoon. The first St. Patrick's Day parade, though, took place not in Ireland, but the United States, when Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City in 1762. As the years went on, the parades became a show of unity and strength for persecuted Irish-American immigrants, and then a popular celebration of Irish-American heritage. The party went global in 1995, when the Irish government began a large-scale campaign to market St. Patrick's Day as a way of driving tourism and showcasing Ireland's many charms to the rest of the world. Today, March 17 is a day of international celebration, as millions of people around the globe put on their best green clothing to drink beer, watch parades and toast the luck of the Irish.
Mar 17, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Creator, today, let me reside in Your stillness.
Mar 17, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
ZODIACAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR TODAY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): You experience a downturn of good luck today. Progress stalls, at best. At worst, a backslide can occur. Work with circumstances instead of bemoaning your fate. A better time will come around.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You let defenses down around friends today but you can also build up a false idea about yourself. Your goals tend to small or fanciful and you are challenged to think big and realistically.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You let others have their way today. You're not feeling especially assertive now but you need to put your preferences out for people to know. By being passive, you're setting yourself up to be hurt.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Certain relationships tend to hold you back. Some people can interfere with your progress, or it seems that way. Perhaps what's really going on is that someone feels unjustly neglected.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): A new person in your life can present interesting challenges. Ideas are set off now, or they can be challenged in ways that get you thinking. Don't let your ego be threatened by contrary opinions.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You have trouble telling unpleasant truths today. You may overestimate how sensitive others are. If you have bad or troubling news, the key is in how you say it.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In some ways, it seems as though you're thrown back to the beginning to start over again. It may be that some error is hidden in the events, whose lesson needs to be uncovered and understood before trying again.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You're prone to tell little white lies today. You don't want a lot of drama but may be creating it by being less than honest. You are challenged to tell the whole truth tactfully.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You need to look after your health today. You should already know what's healthy and what's not. You're mistake is in thinking that you can ignore what's best for you this one time. You're actually more susceptible.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Responsibilities are unusually heavy today. You must work through them carefully. Take everything seriously, since the consequences of a bad decision can be especially hurtful now.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): This is a good day to present a suggestion for change. You may have an idea for improvement, which can get a good reception. Take your imagination seriously enough to believe you have something worthwhile to contribute.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You are extremely challenged to separate wishful thinking from hard facts. Your bias can interfere with data selection to begin with. Someone needs to double-check your work in all its phases and prompt you to be more objective.
Mar 17, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Mar 17, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Mar 17, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Mar 17, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Mar 17, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Mar 17, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Great Spirit, let me understand harmony
Mar 18, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
ZODIACAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR TODAY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): You're feeling unusually creative today. Imaginative bursts have been frequent recently; today is perhaps the strongest. You can hit on the solution you've been looking for, probably not where you've been looking for it.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You go along to get along today. You don't want hassles at work, nor any bad publicity. You may come through quite well because you don't get on anybody's bad side.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You are aware of a lot of controls restricting your freedom of choice and action. You must be very aware of laws, regulations, policies. You can feel that hard work is taking the fun out of life -- for today, at least.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): A sudden change can develop in your career or job today. Unexpected news forces you to rethink habits. Some may get good news concerning employment or education.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You go out of your way to learn about people now. You need to know who you're dealing with and especially how to get on their good side. You see no need to create bad feelings, either deliberately or inadvertently.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You're apt to feel that someone is imposing on you. Somebody is being aggressive now and you can feel attacked. It's important to stay calm while holding your ground and staying dignified.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You feel it's time to change your set of friends and associates. For many, this is simply a day for seeking additional people for your social venue. For some, this can be a wholesale changeover.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You place a lot of attention on your partners, spouse and family today. You look forward to getting home and relaxing. This is one day you want to put the world aside and pay full attention to your loved ones.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You devote a lot of time to study today. A topic gets you particular attention and you try to find out all about it. Be sure that this is an important subject, worth the time you put into it. Take plenty of notes.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You want to stay out of the public eye today. You'd rather stay home and pursue a hobby or other activity while you have the chance. You're very single-minded now and tend to block out whatever isn't important to you.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You tend to be the person who takes on trouble to protect your family. You try at all costs to keep everyone happy, even though you may have to let yourself be the exception. You are very protective of what's emotionally important.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You don't feel up to the challenge of some emotional onslaught today. You feel put at a disadvantage. It's important to be sure you're physically up to be able to endure stress, whatever the source.
Mar 18, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Mar 18, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Mar 18, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Great Mystery, today, help me to stay connected to the Earth and to You, my Creator.
Mar 19, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
ZODIACAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR TODAY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): You have a day in which plans slow and are blocked. Handle money wisely; there may be cause to be suspicious about someone. Your spouse may have a better day and should be the one making financial decisions.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Your job is very a powerful focus of your attention. Be extremely cautious but not to the point of rejecting anything new or unexpected. You want to work out all the consequences of a change but that's something to be managed not controlled.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You can be effective in the work you do, as long as you scale back the scope of your efforts and the number of people you work with. You want to keep it simple; the more emotions you have to deal with, the more you're thrown off balance.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): You must put a stop to bad habits and character faults today, at least insofar as anybody can see them. You must be extremely disciplined, focused and purposeful toward an important personal or professional goal.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You have a very serious attitude today but you aren't very self-expressive. You tend to listen more than talk. It's important that you make substantial contributions that show people what you're capable of.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Some relationships pose problems today. It is difficult to compromise, since the sense of competition is strongly engaged. You must strive to see the other person's point instead of just your own.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You're apt to have a lot of self-doubt today but it's unnecessary. While it seems others are more successful, it's mostly a matter of courage, not simply skill or knowledge. Put yourself forward.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You learn through trial and error today, unfortunately mostly through error. Let yourself make slow progress and try to think ahead very carefully. Make test models before you do anything for real.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You find yourself in constant struggle today. Everything seems hard to start, to continue, to finish. Events and people can be distractions, so you have to set personal goals and enforce limits on what others can demand of you.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You're extremely careful today. You want to avoid trouble, so you're very observant of rules and the customs of the people around you. There is a sense of potential danger if you were to cross a line.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You're aware that improved education is essential now but you could be shy about reaching out for it. Don't be embarrassed about admitting there's a lot you don't know. Improvement is the name of the game.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Inwardly, you feel confident but you weaken under tests in the real world. It's important to see your actions as practice so that you can do better next time.
Mar 19, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Mar 20, 1345: Black Death is created, allegedly
According to scholars at the University of Paris, the Black Death is created on this day in 1345, from what they call "a triple conjunction of Saturn, Jupiter and Mars in the 40th degree of Aquarius, occurring on the 20th of March 1345". The Black Death, also known as the Plague, swept across Europe, the Middle East and Asia during the 14th century, leaving an estimated 25 million dead in its wake.
Despite what these scholars claimed, it is now known that bubonic plague, the most common ailment known as the Black Death, is caused by the yersinia pestis bacterium. The plague was carried by fleas that usually traveled on rats, but jumped off to other mammals when the rat died. It most likely first appeared in humans in Mongolia around 1320. Usually, people who came down with the plague first complained of headaches, fever and chills. Their tongues often appeared a whitish color before there was severe swelling of the lymph nodes. Finally, black and purple spots appeared on the skin of the afflicted; death could follow within a week. Later, a pneumonic form of the plague developed that was less common but killed 95 percent of the people who contracted it.
After the nomadic tribes of Mongolia were devastated by the plague, it moved south and east to China and India. Wherever it went, the death toll was high. It is thought that the disease made its way to Europe in 1346. In one famous incident, the Tatars, a group of Turks, were battling Italians from Genoa in the Middle East when the Tatars were suddenly stuck down by the plague. Reportedly, they began catapulting dead bodies over the Genoans' walls toward their enemy, who fled back to Italy with the disease. Although this account may not be true, it is certain that rats carrying the plague hitched rides on ships from Asia and the Middle East to Europe. In port cities everywhere, the Black Death began to strike. In Venice, 100,000 people died in total, with as many as 600 dying every day at the peak of the outbreak.
In 1347, the disease worked its way to France and Paris lost an estimated 50,000 people. The following year, Britain fell victim. Typically, countries would believe themselves to be superior and immune to infection when their neighbors came down with the plague, but soon found they were mistaken as the Black Death traveled across Eurasia, spreading devastation in its wake. By the time the worst was over in 1352, one third of the continent's population was dead.
Devastation on this scale brought out the worst in people. Often, it was not the movement of stars that was blamed for the disease, but the minorities in the community. Witches and gypsies were frequent targets. Jewish people were tortured and burned to death by the thousands for supposedly causing the Black Death. Preachers claimed that the disease was God's punishment for immorality. Many turned to prayer and those that did survive ascribed their good luck to their devotion, resulting in the rise of splinter religions and cults in the aftermath of the plague's destruction. Alternatively, some resorted to useless home cures to try to avoid the disease, bathing in urine or menstrual blood in an attempt to deter it.
The plague popped up periodically until the 1700s, but never again reached epidemic proportions after the 14th century.
Mar 20, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Great Spirit, today, show me how to live
Mar 20, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Mar 20, 1413: Henry V ascends upon father's death
King Henry IV, the first English monarch of the Lancastrian dynasty, dies after years of illness, and his eldest son, Henry, ascends to the English throne.
In 1399, Henry Bolingbroke was crowned King Henry IV of England following the forced abdication of King Richard II, who was greatly weakened by internal conflicts stemming from his quarrels with Parliament. In later years, Henry IV was a chronic invalid, and his son Henry presided over the king's royal council. Young Henry also led armies against Owen Glendower and the Welsh rebels, and figured largely in the English victory over the Welsh at the Battle of Shrewdsbury.
After his ascendance to the throne in March 1413, the main effort of King Henry V's reign was his claim, through his great-grandfather Edward III, to the French crown. In 1415, Henry invaded France and won a stunning victory against great odds at the Battle of Agincourt in northern France. By 1419, Normandy was again under English control, and in 1420 the Perpetual Peace of Troyes was concluded, under which Henry married Catherine of Valois, the daughter of King Charles VI of France, and was recognized as regent of France and heir to the French throne. His triumph, however, was short-lived. During a siege of Melun and Meaux, his ill health grew worse, and in August 1422 Henry died of camp fever at Vincennes.
Mar 20, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
ZODIACAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR TODAY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): You're feeling energized and ambitious, yet something is holding you back. You need to think about ways to overcome internal or external impediments to action. You feel less frustrated if you have a plan.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You need to expand your social and professional spheres today. Reach out and contact people with position and influence. Insofar as you are worthy, try to get in with people who can help you upward.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): There is a lot of pressure at work to come through with results. You're very busy today. Avoid missteps as it's costlier to correct errors than it is to do it right to begin with. Events move forward quickly.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): You're looking for new ideas today. Something isn't right and you know that a new approach, a missing fact, a flawed concept, is to blame. You're willing to experiment to test out a better fit.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): People give you a high degree of trust today and you must live up to it. Take your obligations seriously, an endeavor to benefit others, not enrich yourself.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You're prone to be argumentative today. It's important to be patient, to find the right person, to learn. You want things done right away but may have to learn the correct procedures for making that happen.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You want to take action but can quickly find out you don't have the right skills or resources. You must be willing to start at the beginning instead of trying to jump ahead to the end.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You're a great motivator today. You can be pushy but you should encourage people to see the best in themselves. If you can instill self-confidence, you will have a great service.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You're prone to resent people putting a lot of pressure on you. You have your own ideas about what needs to be done. You want to follow your own lead, not take orders from someone. You must handle consequent conflicts carefully.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): It's important to read all instructions before doing anything. Your energy needs to be carefully controlled. By jumping first and looking afterward, you could create a huge amount of problems and chaos.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The importance of responsibility and indebtedness are important features of today. Repay favors and monetary debts. Your reliability is great investment for the future, though it may cost you time and money for now.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You don't want to take a back seat to anyone. You're feeling competitive, perhaps excessively so. It's important not to develop a skewed view about who is an enemy. Focus on achieving your personal best.
Mar 20, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Mar 21, 1678:
Reward offered for identity of pamphlet author
The London Gazette offers a reward to anyone revealing the author of a pamphlet called An Account of the Growth of Popery. The pamphlet, it was later revealed, had been published anonymously by Andrew Marvell in 1677.
Although today Marvell is best remembered as the gifted metaphysical poet who composed witty works like To His Coy Mistress (1681), during his own time he was known as a political figure and pamphleteer. Educated at Cambridge, Marvell supported himself as a tutor both abroad and at home in England for many years. After tutoring the ward of Sir Oliver Cromwell, head of the English government after the overthrow and execution of King Charles I, Marvell went to work as assistant to John Milton, a secretary to the government. Milton, who had recently gone blind, would not write his masterpiece Paradise Lost until 1667.
While Marvell had been skeptical of Cromwell, his admiration for the man grew until Cromwell's death in 1659. After his death, however, Marvell became a supporter of the Restoration movement that brought Charles II to the throne. In 1659, Marvell ran for Parliament from his hometown of Hull and won the position, which he held for the rest of his life. Marvell wrote several political pamphlets in the 1670s, including the anonymous Account of the Growth of Popery. Three years after his death in 1678, Marvell's housekeeper, claiming to be his widow, published Miscellaneous Poems, the only collection of Marvell's poetic works.
Mar 21, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Mar 21, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
My Creator, give me the vision, today, of what you want me to do
Mar 21, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
ZODIACAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR TODAY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): You must indulge your curiosity. You won't be happy unless you learn something new, especially about things that benefit you directly and materially. You need info that gives you the edge.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You are all too willing to let someone less capable than you take charge. Be more assertive and get people to recognize the extent of your abilities. Don't let false modesty make you take second place.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Your personal goals are a lot clearer today. The means to achieve then are also apparent. Use today to advance. The biggest danger is thinking that a positive condition will persist, making you complacent and lazy.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): You can have a lot of professional success today but, the less public you are, the better it can be for you. You rely on the appearances and reputation for now so any performance in real-time could be less than stellar.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You want to keep an open mind today. You want to learn but you also need to have your imagination activated. You require a good mix of established fact and speculation to keep your interest.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You encourage others to be more self-sufficient, mostly because you can't keep up with demands they have on you. This is a good day to pull back and recuperate. Too much exertion can drain your body of important reserves.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Your interactions with people are essential for your well-being. You thrive on the energy and information. Without communication and direct contact, you feel cut off.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You need a partner who encourages you to excel. A dynamic relationship can develop now, where cooperation and a desire for excellence enable above-average results. Don't let a competitive element get out of hand and ruin it.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You have an exaggerated need to make a dramatic impression. You may need to cool it and let others have their fair share of attention. Think about the most convincing way to get your point.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): This is a good day to open up to family members. Encourage communication as a way to bring you together. There is much to learn now simply because no one has been asking the right questions.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): It's very important that you recognize priorities in importance today. You can be distracted by trivia when the meaning of events is more important. Communicate the essentials, not all the details.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You feel that the path of least resistance is the best course. The simple effort that gets things done is right for you now. You dislike having to do something over again, so that makes you a perfectionist.
Mar 21, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Mar 21, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Mar 21, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Mar 21, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Following these simple Laws will have great rewards.
Great Spirit, let me lead a simple life
Mar 22, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
ZODIACAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR TODAY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): You make your own opportunities today. Being adventurous and taking reasonable risks makes life worth living. You are careful that your efforts have a specific purpose and not for simple thrills.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You act in beneficial ways that others don't necessarily see. You don't draw attention to yourself, nor is publicity necessary. Follow your higher nature to do something good for yourself and the world.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Your goals in life become more specific now. You are moving from a clear but general focus to a very narrow objective. You understand how to distinguish yourself from the crowd or what specific course to pursue.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): You are easily the focus of attention, so be very careful how you conduct yourself. You tend to go against expectations, so assess public opinion first for how likely unconventionality would be acceptable or approved.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You want to learn more today but you go in your own preferred direction now. Your curiosity has been activated and you need to know things that are not commonly understood. Look for the rare and the unique.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You are torn between continuing what's known and safe but clearly outmoded, versus what's new and controversial, and clearly untested. You will make a better decision when you think clearly and without emotional baggage.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You make your mark today emphasizing what's different about you. You make what's unique stand out. If you're wise, you'll also make sure that this is a characteristic someone is looking for.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): It's a good day for breaking out of habits. Endeavor to develop habits for success and self-improvement. It may be that clearing inhibitions is more important than any overt action making you different.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You enjoy drawing attention to yourself today. You can be a one-person show in ordinary life. However, this sort of self-centeredness is widespread today, so you're not liable to get all the attention you expect.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You feel the need to assert your individuality in situations dominated by habit. You do something different now, perhaps even mildly shocking. It's time to get people used to something different about you.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You find your distinct voice in communications today. Bloggers find a subject they're passionate about in which they can speak meaningfully. Pat attention to what's important to you and let others find it.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You have cause to rethink some of the basics on your personal economy. You can take a different approach to ensuring solvency, one that goes against conventional wisdom (which has had it wrong, anyway, in your view).
Mar 22, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Great Spirit, Grandfather, today, teach me to cry
Mar 23, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Mar 24, 1603:
Queen Elizabeth I dies
After 44 years of rule, Queen Elizabeth I of England dies, and King James VI of Scotland ascends to the throne, uniting England and Scotland under a single British monarch.
The daughter of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth succeeded to the throne in 1559 upon the death of her half-sister Queen Mary. The two half-sisters, both daughters of Henry VIII, had a stormy relationship during Mary's five-year reign. Mary, who was brought up as a Catholic, enacted pro-Catholic legislation and made efforts to restore the pope to supremacy in England. A Protestant rebellion ensued, and Queen Mary imprisoned Elizabeth, a Protestant, in the Tower of London on suspicion of complicity. After Mary's death, Elizabeth survived several Catholic plots against her; although her ascension was greeted with approval by most of England's lords, who were largely Protestant and hoped for greater religious tolerance under a Protestant queen. Under the early guidance of Secretary of State Sir William Cecil, Elizabeth repealed Mary's pro-Catholic legislation, established a permanent Protestant Church of England, and encouraged the Calvinist reformers in Scotland.
In foreign affairs, Elizabeth practiced a policy of strengthening England's Protestant allies and dividing her foes. Elizabeth was opposed by the pope, who refused to recognize her legitimacy, and by Spain, a Catholic nation that was at the height of its power. In 1588, English-Spanish rivalry led to an abortive Spanish invasion of England in which the Spanish Armada, the greatest naval force in the world at the time, was destroyed by storms and a determined English navy.
With increasing English domination at sea, Elizabeth encouraged voyages of discovery, such as Sir Francis Drake's circumnavigation of the world and Sir Walter Raleigh's expeditions to the North American coast.
The long reign of Elizabeth, who became known as the "Virgin Queen" for her reluctance to endanger her authority through marriage, coincided with the flowering of the English Renaissance, associated with such renowned authors as William Shakespeare. By her death in 1603, England had become a major world power in every respect, and Queen Elizabeth I passed into history as one of England's greatest monarchs.
Mar 24, 2012
Dept of PMM Artists & things
My Creator, today, when conflict occurs, I will look inside myself for the answers.
Mar 24, 2012