Bright Blessings on this Samhain

It is Summer's End! Samhain is one of the most holy nights of the year for Celts. I wish everyone Bright Blessings and good fortune for the upcoming year. Today is the day when the border between this world and the Otherworld is weak and the spirits of the dead can come into our world freely. This is not to be confused with the Summer Solstice, in which the veil is also weak and the Aoi Sidhe can cross into our domain. Aoi Sidhe are the decedents of the gods. In my culture, we also have "ghost dancers", at least this is how I translate it. The dancers paint their bodies with white mud, and dance naked or nearly naked. If you have ever witnessed the Sankai Juku dancers in Japan, then that is very similar to the Ghost Dancers. Samhain is held for three nights, 30, 31, and 1. It is the midpoint between the Autumnal Equinox and the Winter Solstice, at least on the lunar calendar. Celts used both a Solar and Lunar Calendar to mark the dates. On Samhain the Feile na Marbh, or Festival of the Dead, in which we honor and celebrate the live of those who have passed before us. As well as, the death of nature and the end of the harvest.

Basic Cigar Shapes

Parejo: cylindrical shape with a round cap.

Figurado: Cone shaped cap, such as that you would see on a torpedo.

Size and Shape of a cigar: Vitola.

Corona: length is 5 1/2 to 6 inches and the ring width is 42 to 45.

Robusto: 4 1/2 to 5 inches in length and 48 to 50 in ring size.

Presidante: 7 to 8 1/2 inches; the ring size is 52 to 60.

Torpedo: 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 inches in length. Ring size is 46 to 52.

Pyramid: Vary in length and ring size, but are always broader in the foot and narrower at the cap.

Perfecto: A very traditional cigar shape! Narrow at both ends and thick in the middle. These can vary in size.

Culebras: Three long cigars braided together.

*There are many variations of these cigar sizes and shapes such as the Petit Corona and Corona Grande, ect.

Click here for more.

Cigarillo: Short, narrow cigar. Similar to a 'little cigar' or a cigarette, but instead of being wrapped in paper, they are wrapped in whole tobacco leaf and are most often seen without filters. These are meant to be smoked like a cigar instead of a cigarette. The most popular brand in the U.S. is Swisher Sweets.

Click here for more.

Little Cigars: Have filter but cigarillos can also have filters.

Cigars... Java by Drew Estate

I am a avid cigar smoker, I love cigars in all of their varieties and flavors!! My favorite brand is Java from Drew Estate, which makes square/rectangular shaped cigars, for which I have no other name for. I love the flavor, its strong, but chocolaty and tastes a little like espresso. The Nicaraguan blend is amazing in the Java. the flavor of this cigar is well rounded, so this would be good for the inexperienced smoker as well as the connoisseur.

Celtic Proverb 27

May those who love us, love us. And those who hate us, may God turn their hearts. And if he doesn't turn their hearts, may he turn their ankles so we'll know them by their limping.

~ Celtic Proverbs

September/October Favorite Products 2010

This is just a break down of some of the products I've been using recently...

1) Suave Rosemary and Mint Shampoo and Conditioner: This is soooo cheap, yet sooo effective. It leaves my hair super smooth and the fragrance is fantastic! It cleanses really well and leaves my hair shiny and manageable. I bought both of these products for about $3.

2) Back to Nature Silk Serum: I've been loving this product, it makes my hair much less frizzy and protects really well. My hair is super glossy with this product, and I do feel that it helps my split ends. You can also use it on your body, which is nice, and it doesn't clog my pores. I usually use it on my hair and after I shave my legs. The fragrance is heavy, but pleasant, and is somewhere between petroleum jelly and lilac. Sounds weird, but its not terrible. A bottle of 6oz is $13.

3) Listerine Whitening strips: I love these. They haven;t caused me any sensitivity problems and they work really well. They do make my mouth sticky afterward, so you might consider brushing afterward. These were $13.

4) Arm & Hammer Whitening Booster: This product is used with toothpaste and is really effective at whitening one's teeth. It was pretty cheap too. This was $7.

5)Listerine Whitening Pen: I Love this product, you can use it right after lunch or whenever you feel like you need to freshen up. It makes your teeth feel super smooth and whitens really well. This was $7.

6) Pond's Cleansing Towelettes: I Love how these smell. I have the Evening Soothe fragrance. It removes all of my makeup, even waterproof mascara, and they leave my skin feeling really refreshed and cleansed. These were about $3.

7) Lash Stiletto Voluptuous: I love this formula. It lengthens and the color is pitch black. The wand is a little awkward to use sometimes, but its still a great product. This was $8.

8) L'oreal colour Riche Lipstick: I have this product in Royal Red. The pigmentation is incredible and I love the texture! It smells like sweet red roses and is super conditioning. I think this was about $7.

Otsu-ichi's Goth; manga

I actually really like this short series, it was gory, beautifully written, psychological, and the plot was super intense. I only wish there was some color, red at least. But as with all art color could either enhance or cheapen, so I understand why they played it safe. This is actually the third manga I've ever read, and I'm actually considering reading the novel. I've never really like manga, but suppose I'm starting to get more into them.

Circumcision

I completely disagree with circumcision... I think its a terrible, barbaric practice. I can't imagine being a mother and having my newborn son taken to a room and mutilated, all the while screaming his head off! It really disgusts me. It's completely unnecessary and can actually be really dangerous! The foreskin is meant to protect the penis from debris, such as fecal matter, without the foreskin the penis is completely unprotected! Many times this can lead to serious infection, it can even cause necrosis in the entire penis and then the penis can actually fall off. In circumstances like this gender reassignment surgery is usually the coarse of treatment. Why do people think this is necessary... why do modern cultures find this necessary... Circumcision doesn't prevent AIDS, safe sex practices do. People don't need to be mutilated they need better sex ed! Circumcision doesn't calm men; in fact, studies have shown that circumcision cause long term psychological problems, not just physical problems. Anger issues, erectile dysfunction, infections, impotence, skin bridges, infertility, and so many others. I believe circumcision is a huge problem for men and women alike.

My favorite Video Games... in no particular order!

PC:
Fallout 3

Mine craft

Oblivion

Bioshock 1 and 2

Devil May Cry 4

Fear

PS3:
Dante's Inferno

Fear 2

(I know I like more than that, but my mind is drawing a blank.)

Fallout New Vegas!!

It comes out today!!!! Well really this morning at 12 am. I'm so excited!!! Fallout 3 is one of my all time favorite games!! I can't wait to play New Vegas!!!!

Celtic Proverb 26

You can't kiss an Irish girl unexpectedly. You can only kiss her sooner than she thought you would.
~Celtic Proverb

Celtic Proverb 25

How many mourn the want of possessions; yet the strong, the brave, and the rich, all go to the grave at last; like the poor, and the emaciated, and the infant.
~ Celtic Proverb

Celtic Proverb 24

Three best to have in plenty - sunshine, wisdom and generosity.
~Celtic Proverb

Types of Magickal Wood: Ebony

Ebony - Balance. It represents all the elements equally. Ebony is useful in dealing with Spiritual learning and experimentation. Ebony chests are one of the best kinds of wooden chests to keep your tools in.If you can find a chunk of this wood it can also be used to empower your tools. Best keep this wood out of the sun, for it can bleach very easily.
Element - all
Planet - Venus & Jupiter

Types of Magickal Wood: Ash

Ash - Ash is a great wood for communication and learning. Ash allows us to open the paths for better communication. Wands made of this wood are especially useful, as wand symbolize the intellect.
Element - Air
Planet - Mercury

Celtic Spells

Shield and Safeguard Us

Valiant Nuada of the white sword,
Who subdued the Firbolg of blood,
For love of the Tribe, for pains of Danu's children,
Hold thy shield over us, protect us all,
Hold thy shield over us, protect us all.
Danu beloved! Mother of the Shining Ones,
Shield, oh shield us, Lady of nobleness,
And Brigit the beauteous, shepherdess of the flocks,
Safeguard thou our animals, encircle us together,
Safeguard thou our animals, encircle us together.
And Ellen, beneficent, benign,
Governess of the trackways of power,
Invoke the star of power upon the path,
Guide well thou ourselves, shield our procession,
Guide well thou ourselves, shield our procession.
O Mother! O Maiden! O Crone of Wisdom!
Be the Triad with us day and night,
On the machair plain or on the mountain ridge,
Be the Triad with us and her cloak around us,
Be the Triad with us and her cloak around us.

Celtic Proverb 23

The peacemaker is never in the way.
~Celtic Proverb

The Seven Deadly Sins and the Demons they Correspond With.

Lucifer - Pride
Mammon - Avarice
Asmodeus - Lechery
Satan - Anger
Beelzebub - Gluttony
Leviathan - Envy
Belphegor - Sloth

I'm not Catholic, I just have a HUGE interest in other beliefs! I found this years ago and thought it was interesting!

Celtic Proverb 22

If Candlemas is wet or foul, half the winter has gone at Yule. If Candlemas is fine and fair, half the winter is to come and more.

~Celtic Proverb

Motto of the Day

You can't choose your Blood, but you can choose your Family.

Celtic Proverb 21

The only cure for love is marriage.
Níl aon leigheas ar an ngrá ach pósadh.
~Celtic Proverb

Men are so dumb when it comes to women.....

This is the Best Representative pict I've found!
Right now I'm talking about breasts!!! I'm sooooo glad that I am a bisexual woman... its so much easier. I like a nice pair of breasts and much as the next guy... girl...eh! But men are soo dumb, half the time they look at a woman in a push-up bra, or even worse; a padded bra, and think that they're natural!!! Many times it too obvious that is a push-up bra and the men get disappointed later... Then they complain.... to me... *sigh* what am I going to do with these boys... LEARN TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE!!!! I had to, not that it took to much time or effort, but come on!!

Celtic Proverb 20

If the head cannot bear the glory of the crown, better to be without it.
~Celtic Proverb

Celtic Proverb 19

There’s no wise man without fault.
Ní bhíonn saoi gan locht.
~Celtic Proverb

Irish Blessing

May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life's passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!

Celtic Proverb 18

It is a wedge of itself that splits the oak.(Beware the enemy within.)
Is í ding di féin a scoileann an dair.
~ Celtic Proverb

Celtic Proverb 17

Beware of the anger of a patient man.
Coimhéad fearg fhear na foighde.
~Celtic Proverb

Celtic Proverb 16

What is Seldom is Wonderful.
An rud is annamh is íontach.
~Celtic Proverb

A note on Ambergris

I love Ambergris, and I love animals. I never condone the practice of poaching or the harming of any animals in any way. With that said, here is a little info I dug up on Ambergris and its history. I will cite these sources at the end.

Ambergris: a Solid, waxy substance from the digestive system of the Sperm Whale. Known in its true form to smell very intensely; however, as this product ages it acquires a sweet aroma. It has been used as a fixative in perfumery for ages, though in recent years has been mostly replaced with synthetics.

Ambergris can be found floating on sea water and on beaches and in no way does it require harming the Sperm Whale. In fact, the highest quality ambergris is found this way. Being exposed to air and elements removes the distinctive bile/fecal odor the Ambergris originally has.

American perfumers usually avoid it due to legal ambiguities. It was banned from use in many countries in the 1970s, including the United States, because its precursor originates from the Sperm Whale, which is an endangered species. However it has been legal since 2005 due to strict monitoring of distributors who ensure that only ambergris that has been naturally washed to shore is sold.

This information has been taken from Wikipedia.

Glossary For Fragrances... kinda

Absolute - Also known as an essence. An absolute is the most potent aromatic product made from a base product. It differs from an essential oil in that it’s produced through an extraction process that uses volatile solvents. The extracted solid material is then combined with alcohol to produce the absolute. Absolutes are also darker in color than essential oils.

Accord - An accord is a blend of two or three fragrances to produce a third unique fragrance, with none of the original fragrances being detectable. When you smell an accord, you only smell one distinct fragrance, not the original fragrances that were combined.

Aldehyde - An aldehyde is a highly-reactive chemical compound made by oxidizing different alcohols to make resins and organic acids.

Amber - Fir tree resin, in its regular, non-fossilised form is used in perfumery and offers a rather sweet, warm and deep, sensuous smell that serves as a base to anchor the other ingredients that are place on top of this less volatile ingredient. Amber is also a general term – according to the French system – to describe the perfumes that fall in the Oriental group and have a warm, slightly powdery, erotic, animalic tonality to them.


Ambergris - A sperm whale secretion. Sperm whales produce it to protect their stomachs from the beaks of the cuttlefish they swallow. Ambergris was traditionally used as a fixative, but in modern perfumery, ambergris is usually of synthetic origin. Ambergris is described as having a sweet, woody odor. Most commercial perfumes today use a synthetic replacement because it is so expensive.

Attar - An extremely expensive essential oil made from the Bulgarian rose.

Castoreum - A secretion from the Castor beaver, or a synthetic substitute. Used to impart a leathery aroma to a fragrance.

Civet - The african civet cat looks like a fox, and is related to the mongoose. Civet musk is produced by a gland at the base of the cat's tail. Pure civet is said to have a strong, disagreeable odor, but in small quantities to add depth and warmth to a fragrance and a sweaty/musky note that is considered very erotic and pairs extremely well with floral notes.. In addition, civet acts as an excellent fixative. Most modern fragrances use synthetic substitutes.

Heady - Heady fragrances make you feel light-headed, exhilarated or stimulated.

Hesperidia - A general term for citrus oils.

Labdanum - An aromatic gum that originates from the rockrose bush. The sweet woody odor is said to mimic ambergris and can also be used to impart a leather note.

Musk - Coming from a glandular secretion of the male Tibetan musk deer, this was considered an aphrodisiac in the past. The practice of extracting the musk was difficult so the deer was killed in the process and the practice nowadays is extinct. New synthetic musks have now been created.

Opoponax - Also know as sweet myrrh. Has a sweet, balsam-like , lavender-like fragrance when used as incense.

Oud - Sometimes spelled oudh or aoud. The Arabic word for wood. In perfumery it usually refers to wood from the agar tree.

All of these were taken from the Glossary provided on the website of The Perfumed Court. Click here to be directed to this page...

And click here To be directed to the homepage of their site!

Aikido

I've been studying Aikido for about two semesters, and I really love it. Its very challenging and makes me really work on my posture and my balance. The class is at the local college, where I regularly attend. Its a one credit coarse, which means its about 49 dollars per quarter. I don't know if I'll do it next quarter... it will be winter and I'll have to ride the bus at 9 o'clock at night. We'll see though.

Update

I didn't get the job, but I've heard that October is the Month for Jobs in Colorado! So I'm still hopeful. I didn't get the job because there was a mix up with the database and it put me down as being available anytime. So I wasn't available enough for them. Its annoying, but it happens. I'm kinda glad though... I knew after the first interview that if I got this job, I wouldn't be with the company for long. Its just too stressful of a job for me. Too fast pace, especially when I don't have ANY experience as a cashier... So be it.

Fragrance: Lady Vengence + Miss Charming

I recently mixed these two scents, and it ended up being AMAZING!!! The rose really intensified!!! The sweetness was dampened and a somewhat smokey musk came into being. I can't wait to try mixing the others, I hope I can 'fix' Midnight Oud.... So at least I can wear it out in public.

Heroes...

Is a show that I'm really getting into, I never thought I would! My fave characters are Claire Bennet, Hiro Nakamura,Ando Masahashi, Niki Sanders, and Peter Petrelli. But I'm only on the sixth episode, so we'll see who I like more later on... I know, I know.... I getting into this super late. But I've been preoccupied with True Blood... lolz The good thing is, I can get all of the episodes at once on Net flicks.... So I don't have to wait a week to see a new episode, which is nice.

Yay Job Interview!!!

Okay so yesterday I received a call from Walmart... and on Monday I have an interview. I have no idea if I'll get the job, because of my hours. But I really hope I do and everything works out well.