Podcast appearances and mentions of saint barbara

'Saint Barbara was from Heliopolis of Phoenicia and lived during the reign of Maximian. She was the daughter of a certain idolater named Dioscorus. When Barbara came of age, she was enlightened in her pure heart and secretly believed in the Holy Trinity. About this time Dioscorus began building a bath-house; before it was finished he was required to go away to attend to certain matters, and in his absence Barbara directed the workmen to build a third window in addition to the two her father had commanded. She also inscribed the sign of the Cross with her finger upon the marble of the bath-house, leaving the saving sign cut as deeply into the marble as if it had been done with an iron tool. When the Synaxarion of Saint Barbara was written, the marble of the bath-house and the cross inscribed by Saint Barbara were still preserved, and many healings were worked there. When Dioscorus returned, he asked why the third window had been added; Barbara began to declare to him the mystery of the Trinity. Because she refused to renounce her faith, Dioscorus tortured Barbara inhumanly, and after subjecting her to many sufferings he beheaded her with his own hands, in the year 290.' (Great Horologion)

Today's episode focuses on the historic site of Skriðuklaustur, which offers a captivating glimpse into Iceland's rich Icelandic culture, history, and literature. This enchanting destination, nestled amidst the rugged beauty of the Icelandic landscape, serves as a bridge between the past and the present, inviting visitors to explore the layers of stories etched within this museum. The Origins of Skriðuklaustur Monastery Skriðuklaustur, a landmark of rural eastern Iceland, and has origins tracing back to a 16th-century monastery. Revealed through an extensive archaeological excavation from 2002 to 2012, the ruins of this Augustinian cloister tell a tale of resilience, spirituality, and compassion.Established around 1493, this monastery served as a refuge for the sick and the poor. Its existence, cut short by the Reformation in the mid-16th century, marks a significant chapter in Iceland's religious and social history. The Link Between Skriðuklaustur Monastery & Gunnar Gunnarsson The monastery's story is interwoven with the life of Gunnar Gunnarsson, one of Iceland's most renowned literary figures. Gunnarsson, born in 1889, emerged as a prolific writer whose works resonated with readers across the globe.His decision to write in Danish brought his stories to an international audience, earning him acclaim and raising questions about his cultural identity. Gunnarsson's legacy is complex, marked by his literary success and the controversies surrounding his public appearances in Nazi Germany.In 1939, Gunnarsson returned to Iceland, making Skriðuklaustur his home. The mansion he built, a testament to his ambition and unique architectural vision, now stands as a cultural beacon. Designed by the German architect Fritz Höger, the mansion reflects a blend of Icelandic and European influences.Today, it houses exhibitions on Gunnarsson's work, offering visitors a window into the life of a man whose storytelling left an indelible mark on Icelandic literature.I share some insight into Gunnar Gunnarsson's and Halldór Laxness' friendship and eventual falling out in a previous podcast episode. More Than Just a Historic Site Skriðuklaustur is more than a historic site; it is a living museum that continues to inspire and educate. The monastery ruins, accessible to visitors year-round, offer a tangible connection to Iceland's monastic heritage. The site's archaeological significance is underscored by the extensive research conducted over a ten-year period, which shed light on the daily lives of the monks, their literary endeavors, and the monastery's role as a hospital.The findings from the cloister cemetery are particularly fascinating because they reveal the hardships faced by those who sought refuge within the monastery's walls. The study of nearly 300 individuals buried on the site provides invaluable insights into the health and social conditions of 16th-century Iceland. The presence of graves belonging to patients, the disabled, and even the unbaptized stillborn highlights the monastery's inclusive approach to care and compassion.Skriðuklaustur's archaeological excavation also unearthed over 13,000 artifacts, offering a glimpse into the material culture of the time. Among the treasures discovered was a fragmented statue of Saint Barbara, symbolizing the spiritual life that once flourished within the monastery's walls.The application of photogrammetry technology has allowed these artifacts to be explored in detail, further enriching our understanding of this historic site. An East Iceland Gem As Skriðuklaustur opens its doors for the 2024 season, visitors are invited to immerse themselves in the site's history and beauty. The upcoming art exhibition "Polyphony" by Björg Eiríksdóttir, alongside a new exhibit by Gunnar Gunnarsson's son, promises to be a highlight, showcasing the ongoing dialogue between past and present.Skriðuklaustur stands as a testament to Iceland's rich cultur...

'Saint Barbara was from Heliopolis of Phoenicia and lived during the reign of Maximian. She was the daughter of a certain idolater named Dioscorus. When Barbara came of age, she was enlightened in her pure heart and secretly believed in the Holy Trinity. About this time Dioscorus began building a bath-house; before it was finished he was required to go away to attend to certain matters, and in his absence Barbara directed the workmen to build a third window in addition to the two her father had commanded. She also inscribed the sign of the Cross with her finger upon the marble of the bath-house, leaving the saving sign cut as deeply into the marble as if it had been done with an iron tool. When the Synaxarion of Saint Barbara was written, the marble of the bath-house and the cross inscribed by Saint Barbara were still preserved, and many healings were worked there. When Dioscorus returned, he asked why the third window had been added; Barbara began to declare to him the mystery of the Trinity. Because she refused to renounce her faith, Dioscorus tortured Barbara inhumanly, and after subjecting her to many sufferings he beheaded her with his own hands, in the year 290.' (Great Horologion)

'Saint Barbara was from Heliopolis of Phoenicia and lived during the reign of Maximian. She was the daughter of a certain idolater named Dioscorus. When Barbara came of age, she was enlightened in her pure heart and secretly believed in the Holy Trinity. About this time Dioscorus began building a bath-house; before it was finished he was required to go away to attend to certain matters, and in his absence Barbara directed the workmen to build a third window in addition to the two her father had commanded. She also inscribed the sign of the Cross with her finger upon the marble of the bath-house, leaving the saving sign cut as deeply into the marble as if it had been done with an iron tool. When the Synaxarion of Saint Barbara was written, the marble of the bath-house and the cross inscribed by Saint Barbara were still preserved, and many healings were worked there. When Dioscorus returned, he asked why the third window had been added; Barbara began to declare to him the mystery of the Trinity. Because she refused to renounce her faith, Dioscorus tortured Barbara inhumanly, and after subjecting her to many sufferings he beheaded her with his own hands, in the year 290.' (Great Horologion)

We look to the most excellent Fish Eaters site for information about Saint Barbara.

The Old Spanish Days Fiesta is an annual, five day celebration all about honoring the culture and traditions of Santa Barbara's indigenous, Spanish, Mexican and early American settlers.The Indy host Alexandra Goldberg sat down with Fiesta's 2023 Saint Barbara, Lisa Osborn, to talk about the roots of Fiesta and the responsibility of portraying Saint Barbara. Every year, the Daughters of the Golden West, Reina Del Mar Parlor 126 selects one member to portray the patron saint at Fiesta activities.Then, La Fiesta Pequeña, or “Little Fiesta”, is a colorful, historical program showcasing traditional songs and dance from Early California Flamenco to Spanish classical and Mexican Folklorico, kicking off Old Spanish Day in Santa Barbara.The Indy reporter Daniel Huecias takes Fiesta Pequeña, interviewing performers, spectators, and El Presidente of Fiesta 2023.Hosted by Alexandra Goldberg.The Indy: A Podcast was co-created by Molly McAnany and the Santa Barbara Independent.Theme music written by Molly McAnany.Follow ‘The Indy' on social media @theindypod to support and contact podcast@independent.com for advertisements.For more information, visit: https://www.sbfiesta.org

(Weekday Memorial) The Immaculate Heart Of Mary Readings Is 61:9-11: I will rejoice in my God. Response: (1 Sam 2:1,4-8): R. My heart rejoices in the Lord my saviour. Alleluia, alleluia! Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who kept the word of God, and pondered it in her heart. Alleluia! (Cf Lk 2:19) Lk 2:41-51: She stored up all these things in her heart. Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed Stock Photo ID: 2217231347. CAREVDAR, CROATIA - SEPTEMBER 06, 2013: Immaculate Heart of Mary, altarpiece on the Virgin Mary altar in the Church of Saint Barbara in Carevdar, Croatia. Important information- Editorial Use Only. Photo Contributor: Zvonimir Atletic ++++ References: Fr Paul W. Kelly Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed Stock Photo ID: 2217231347. CAREVDAR, CROATIA - SEPTEMBER 06, 2013: Immaculate Heart of Mary, altarpiece on the Virgin Mary altar in the Church of Saint Barbara in Carevdar, Croatia. Important information- Editorial Use Only. Photo Contributor: Zvonimir Atletic ++++++++ "Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly Prayers and chants — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL) Scriptures – Jerusalem Bible – 1966 – Darton, Longman and Todd. "The Psalms" ©1963 The Grail - Collins publishers. Prayers of the Faithful - " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'. E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993) . (Sydney Australia). Marian Hymn –– "Rainfall – Hail Holy Queen." Music by Paul W. Kelly. 1994, 2021. Words by Paul kelly, based on the Traditional Salve Regina Hymn. Arranged & with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2021. https://www.airgigs.com/user/stefankelk Reflection Hymn post communion - Salve Regina (tono simple) 450 voces coro virtual Música Católica. https://cantocatolico.org/salve-regina/ Magnificat (Praise and sing to God)- (July 2021) -Music by Paul W. Kelly. (1985, 2010, 2021), Lyrics inspired by Magnificat (Luke 1:46–55). Music arranged, with adapted lyrics by Stefan de Freyne Kelk. [https://www.airgigs.com/user/stefankelk ] July 1, 2021. [ Production - KER - 2023] May God bless and keep you.

A modern-day rejects her Prince and stays imprisoned for a cup of Dunkin coffee. This folklore of Rapunzel stemmed from the story of Christ's suffering and persecution to death to save all humanity. This folklore originated from Saint Barbara, who was killed for her faith in Christ. She refused to denounce her faith and became a martyred Saint in the Catholic faith. The story of faith is far removed from representing humanity today in the year 2023-a selfish generation to serve Satan instead of God. Rapunzel is more content today with her cup of coffee while being locked up in her high tower than being with her Prince, who came to save her from the witch who locked her up.Watch the video at: https://youtu.be/BPNYmcQKgLYMy books are available on my site, https://www.savedandloved.com/shopPlease donate to my site, https://www.savedandloved.com/donate.Please buy me a coffee:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/savedandloved.

Show SummaryOn this episode of Behind the Mission, we continue a series sponsored by Comcast featuring a look at Task Force Movement, a national effort to bring transitioning service members, veterans, military families, and industry stakeholders together to improve economic and national security outcomes. Today's guest is Liz Belcaster, Senior advisor of Communications and Public Relations for Task Force Movement.About Today's GuestElizabeth Murray-Belcaster is the President of EMB Consultants, Inc. Leading initiatives for Veterans' and military families, Belcaster is an expert in strategic development of training to placement efforts across the country and an advisor for leadership and coalition building. She is responsible for networking with employers, military partners, and legislators as well as building independent partnerships with labor affiliates and with veteran's service organizations across the country. She served as Task Force Committee member and lead panelist for the American Legion National Licensing and Credentialing Summits and continues to drive industry stakeholders, governing agencies, labor unions and military affiliations in collective spaces to further advance programming and policy for service members across the globe. Belcaster specializes in development of Military Training to Placement efforts with military leadership, industry, labor, academia and regulatory agencies and stakeholders across the country.She's had concurrent experience directing political campaign initiatives for the offices of Governor, State and National Congress, Senate, Aldermanic, and regional judicial positions. She has presented at the Clinton Global Initiative and has served as a board member on the Women For Wounded Warriors Foundation since 2016, and is a past recipient of United States Field Artillery Associations, The Order of Saint Barbara award.Links Mentioned In This EpisodeTask Force Movement WebsiteTask Force Movement for CybersecurityPsychArmor Resource of the WeekThis week's PsychArmor resource of the week previous podcast episode in the series, our conversation with former Pennsylvania congressman and the 32th undersecretary of the army, Patrick J. Murphy. In our conversation, Mr. Murphy provided an overview of Task Force Movement and the efforts that the White House are making to impact this critical issue.  You can find the link to this resource here: https://psycharmor.org/podcast/honorable-patrick-j-murphy-task-force-movement-and-task-force-cyber This Episode Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by Comcast. Comcast creates incredible technology and entertainment that connects millions of people to the moments and experiences that matter most. You can find more about how they support the military affiliated population by going to https://corporate.comcast.com/impact/military Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Email PsychArmorPsychArmor on TwitterPsychArmor on FacebookPsychArmor on YouTubePsychArmor on LinkedInPsychArmor on InstagramTheme MusicOur theme music Don't Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities.Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families.  You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com  

'Saint Barbara was from Heliopolis of Phoenicia and lived during the reign of Maximian. She was the daughter of a certain idolater named Dioscorus. When Barbara came of age, she was enlightened in her pure heart and secretly believed in the Holy Trinity. About this time Dioscorus began building a bath-house; before it was finished he was required to go away to attend to certain matters, and in his absence Barbara directed the workmen to build a third window in addition to the two her father had commanded. She also inscribed the sign of the Cross with her finger upon the marble of the bath-house, leaving the saving sign cut as deeply into the marble as if it had been done with an iron tool. When the Synaxarion of Saint Barbara was written, the marble of the bath-house and the cross inscribed by Saint Barbara were still preserved, and many healings were worked there. When Dioscorus returned, he asked why the third window had been added; Barbara began to declare to him the mystery of the Trinity. Because she refused to renounce her faith, Dioscorus tortured Barbara inhumanly, and after subjecting her to many sufferings he beheaded her with his own hands, in the year 290.' (Great Horologion)

'Saint Barbara was from Heliopolis of Phoenicia and lived during the reign of Maximian. She was the daughter of a certain idolater named Dioscorus. When Barbara came of age, she was enlightened in her pure heart and secretly believed in the Holy Trinity. About this time Dioscorus began building a bath-house; before it was finished he was required to go away to attend to certain matters, and in his absence Barbara directed the workmen to build a third window in addition to the two her father had commanded. She also inscribed the sign of the Cross with her finger upon the marble of the bath-house, leaving the saving sign cut as deeply into the marble as if it had been done with an iron tool. When the Synaxarion of Saint Barbara was written, the marble of the bath-house and the cross inscribed by Saint Barbara were still preserved, and many healings were worked there. When Dioscorus returned, he asked why the third window had been added; Barbara began to declare to him the mystery of the Trinity. Because she refused to renounce her faith, Dioscorus tortured Barbara inhumanly, and after subjecting her to many sufferings he beheaded her with his own hands, in the year 290.' (Great Horologion)

Do your surroundings and your wardrobe reflect who you are or how you want people to perceive you? Are those two different people?  This week we draw a parallel between figuring out who you are and decorating your place. Some people put on a whole persona at once and some people acquire one piece at a time. As always, we have opinions.  Plus, we careen towards the end of the #YearOfTheSaints with a rather explosive segment about Saint Barbara.     Promo: Reel Feels Podcast   (Want to swap show promos? Email us!)     We love you for listening! Please take a moment to rate and review us, and earn a STICKER! (Everyone loves stickers!) And please subscribe or add us to your favorites list on your favorite platform so you never miss a show! And share us with your cool friends, not the lame ones.     Questions? Comments? Complaints? Write to us at PitneyAndAmelia@gmail.com! Tweet at us at @bitchenboutique! Stay up to date by liking our Facebook page!  If you want to be supportive without a lot of stuff cluttering your feed, follow us on Instagram at @pitneyandamelia! (Really, we barely post over there.)  And if you're feeling generous, buy yourself a little something at our Zazzle shop and help to support our show! (Turn off that Content Filter to see the "uncensored" merch!)     Who the heck are Pitney and Amelia? A gay guy and his fat friend talking about everything! We've got over 30 years of stories to share about stuff we love, stuff that annoys us, people we've known, places we've been, and things we've seen. Geeky, silly, and always opinionated. NAMES ARE CHANGED TO PROTECT THE GUILTY!     We may be awful, but we're right!  Here, queer, and in your ear. Every other Friday.     LGBTQIA+ | Comedy | Pop Culture | Fandom | Horror | Spirituality | Mental Health 

Today's episode is about customs and traditions on St. Barbara's Day. In the Slovak lesson, you're going to expand your vocabulary with a few new words. You will also learn how to say “I was born" in Slovak. At the end you can find my Slovak legend about St. Barbara.Episode notesToday's episode is about customs and traditions on St. Barbara's Day. In the Slovak lesson, you're going to expand your vocabulary with a few new words. You will also learn how to say “I was born" in Slovak. At the end you can find my Slovak story about St. Barbara.Slovak lesson1.     svätá (saint)2.     patrónka (patroness/ in our case: patron saint)Svätá Barbora ja patrónka baníkov. (Saint Barbara is the patron saint of miners.)3.     baník / baníci (miner / miners)Baníci oslavujú sviatok svojej patrónky.(Miners celebrate the holiday of their patron saint.)4.     sviatok (holiday)5.     štátny sviatok (public holiday or bank holiday)Sviatok Svätej Barbory nie je štátny sviatok. (Saint Barbara's Day is not a public holiday.)6. obchod / obchody (shop / shops)7. zariadenie / zariadenia (facility / facilities)8. spoločenské zariadenia (social facilities)Obchody a spoločenské zariadenia sú otvorené. (Shops and social facilities are open.)9. narodiť sa (to be born) (Musc.) narodil som sa /(Fem.) narodila som sa (I was born.)Barbora sa narodila v Turecku. Fem. (Barbara was born in Turkey.)10. pochádzať / pochádzam (to come / I come from)Pochádzam zo Slovenska. (I come from Slovakia.)Pochádzam z robotníckej rodiny. (I come from a working class family.)Barbora pochádzala z obchodníckej rodiny. (Barbara came from a merchant family.)11. narodil som sa / narodila som sa ( I was born. / I was born.)Narodila som sa v decembri. (I was born in December.)Narodil som sa v roku ...Timestamps00:31 Introduction to the episode02:20 Slovak "Witches' Days"05:48 About St. Barbara08:48 Customs and traditions on St. Barbara's Day in Slovakia11:40 Slovak lesson24:24 Legend of St. Barbora in Slovak26:56 Final thoughtsIf you have any questions, send it to my email hello@bozenasslovak.com. Check my website www.bozensslovak.com and my www.instagram@bozenasslovak/ where I am posting the pictures of what I am talking about on my podcast.Thank you for listening to my podcast. 

'Saint Barbara was from Heliopolis of Phoenicia and lived during the reign of Maximian. She was the daughter of a certain idolater named Dioscorus. When Barbara came of age, she was enlightened in her pure heart and secretly believed in the Holy Trinity. About this time Dioscorus began building a bath-house; before it was finished he was required to go away to attend to certain matters, and in his absence Barbara directed the workmen to build a third window in addition to the two her father had commanded. She also inscribed the sign of the Cross with her finger upon the marble of the bath-house, leaving the saving sign cut as deeply into the marble as if it had been done with an iron tool. When the Synaxarion of Saint Barbara was written, the marble of the bath-house and the cross inscribed by Saint Barbara were still preserved, and many healings were worked there. When Dioscorus returned, he asked why the third window had been added; Barbara began to declare to him the mystery of the Trinity. Because she refused to renounce her faith, Dioscorus tortured Barbara inhumanly, and after subjecting her to many sufferings he beheaded her with his own hands, in the year 290.' (Great Horologion)

'Saint Barbara was from Heliopolis of Phoenicia and lived during the reign of Maximian. She was the daughter of a certain idolater named Dioscorus. When Barbara came of age, she was enlightened in her pure heart and secretly believed in the Holy Trinity. About this time Dioscorus began building a bath-house; before it was finished he was required to go away to attend to certain matters, and in his absence Barbara directed the workmen to build a third window in addition to the two her father had commanded. She also inscribed the sign of the Cross with her finger upon the marble of the bath-house, leaving the saving sign cut as deeply into the marble as if it had been done with an iron tool. When the Synaxarion of Saint Barbara was written, the marble of the bath-house and the cross inscribed by Saint Barbara were still preserved, and many healings were worked there. When Dioscorus returned, he asked why the third window had been added; Barbara began to declare to him the mystery of the Trinity. Because she refused to renounce her faith, Dioscorus tortured Barbara inhumanly, and after subjecting her to many sufferings he beheaded her with his own hands, in the year 290.' (Great Horologion)

On this week's episode of The Indy, we talk to Samantha Eve from Out of the Box Theatre (@outoftheboxtheatre) about their upcoming production of Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Alcazar Theater (@alcazartheatre) in Carpinteria. After a quick history of Saint Barbara's connection to trick-or-treating, we speak with Julie Brown, founder of Santa Barbara Ghost Tours (@santabarbaraghosttours), about some of her favorite ghost stories and this year's special Halloween tour.

Chaplain (COL) Khallid Shabazz is the U.S. Army Central Command Chaplain and is the Army's highest ranking and first Muslim division-level chaplain. Chaplain (COL) Shabazz is a recipient of the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal (9), Joint Army Commendation and Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal (2), the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, The Iraqi Campaign Medal, the Army service Ribbon, the Overseas Ribbon (3) and the NATO Expeditionary Medal. He was also awarded the humanitarian award for outstanding volunteerism, The Saint Michael's Medal for service to Army Aviation and Saint Barbara's Award for service to the Field Artillery Corps. He is the author of three books, “Losing our Manhood,” “Islam and Christianity a Road to Peace” and “Culture a Call to Reason.”

We're back with another classic this week. Rapunzel is a fairy tale that has been passed down for centuries with each re-telling becoming more dark and twisted than the one before. The story of the long haired princess was inspired by Saint Barbara, a real life christian martyr who suffered endlessly at the hands of her own father. Unfortunately, the victim of our true crime story suffered a similar fate, possibly worse. Elisabeth Fritzl was kidnapped and held hostage for years by a man that the community praised as a hero. This is a story of a monster hiding in plain sight. This week's snack break is brought to you by Bluff Park Baked Goods. Follow them on IG at @bluffparkbakedgoods for melt in your mouth bundt cakes, custom ordered to please your tastebuds. Our Sources: https://historycollection.com/the-real-rapunzel-was-locked-in-a-tower-and-beheaded-by-her-dad/ https://www.tor.com/2020/07/17/forbidden-desire-and-locked-doors-the-origins-of-rapunzel/ https://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/crime-files/josef-fritzl#First%20Family https://thefairytalecentral.com/the-origins-of-rapunzel/

Episode 4 is about Saint Barbara, a maiden who was locked in a tower by her father - and one of the inspirations behind the fairytale princess, Rapunzel. She's the patron saint of firefighters, Lebanon, lightning, mathematicians, and the Russian Missile Strategic Forces - among many other things. Find out why Saint Barbara is associated with explosions. Discover the pre-holiday festivals celebrated in her honour. Tune in to this episode to hear about Saint Barbara's connection to powerful Afro-Cuban deities and also to a Disney Princess.

Saint Barbara is a classic example of an independent teen living her life the way she wanted... and getting beheaded for it. She gives a whole new meaning to the old coming-of-age trope where the kid says "my dad's going to kill me for this." Ok! I'm done with the jokes! Just listen to the episode.Follow me on instagram:  deadfriendsaintsemail:  deadfriendsaints@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/deadfriendsaintsTikTok: @deadfriendsaints

Today we celebrate an American poet, essayist, and editor who is often remembered in a photograph where she is dressed as Saint Barbara with a laurel wreath around her head. We'll also learn about the woman who started a flower club that offered rare and exotic plants to Swedish homemakers during World War II. We’ll hear about the enticing words used to describe the gorgeous plants in garden catalogs - they work so well on gardeners. We Grow That Garden Library™ with an old book by a stylist who loves to incorporate nature into her interior designs. And then we’ll wrap things up with a cheery story about the man who saw life through rose-colored glasses—chin up.   Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to “Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast.” And she will. It's just that easy.   The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring: A personal update from me Garden-related items for your calendar The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week Gardener gift ideas Garden-inspired recipes Exclusive updates regarding the show Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf.   Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org   Curated News Beautiful Bark on Deciduous Trees | Fine Gardening | Kristin Green   Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there’s no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you’d search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group.   Important Events January 7, 1861 Today is the birthday of the American poet, essayist, and editor Louise Imogen Guiney. Louise was the daughter of a Tipperary-born Civil War General named Patrick Guiney. And after living in constant pain from his war injuries, Louise’s father died when she was 16. But her dad’s bravery and morality helped to shape Louise’s work. As her family struggled to make ends meet, Louise worked several jobs. In 1894, she ended up working for her local post office in Auburndale, Massachusetts. She was the postmistress. And when locals protested her appointment because she was Catholic, her friends responded to the backlash by buying so many stamps that Louise kept her job and actually even got a raise. I think of that little incident when I read a poem often attributed to Louise - but its origins remain uncertain. The foolish fears of what may come, I cast them all away Among the clover-scented grass, Among the new-mown hay; Among the hushing of the corn, Where drowsing poppies nod. Ill thoughts can die, and good be born, Out in the fields of God. During Louise's early life in Boston, she lived on Pinckney Street. And that street served as a hub for creatives like Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne, the Thoreau family, and the publisher Elizabeth Peabody. Imagine living there... Louise’s work was featured in popular magazines like Harper’s and The Atlantic Monthly. And has she matured in her adulthood, Louise fell in love with England’s history and she made repeated trips there before permanently moving to the country in the early 1900s. In one of her beautiful pieces of correspondence, Louise was asked if her poem A Song Of The Lilac could be set to music - and it was. It’s a charming verse that goes like this: And when by night the May wind blows The lilac-blooms apart, The memory of his first love Is shaken on his heart. Today if you search for Louise online, you’ll see beautiful images of her dressed as Saint Barbara with a laurel wreath around her head and, in some photos, someone faintly penciled a halo above her head.   January 7, 1898 Today is the birthday of the Swedish botanist and children's book author Vivi Laurent-Täckholm. During World War II, Vivi started a flower club that offered rare and exotic plants to Swedish housewives. Vivi's club debuted several popular houseplants, including pothos and two types of Plectranthus, green-leafed and variegated. As Plectranthus australis grew in popularity, thanks to Vivi’s flower club, it became known as Swedish Ivy. The genus name, Plectranthus, refers to the spur-shaped flowers and comes from the Greek words for spur and flower: plectron and anthos. And if you’ve never seen a Swedish Ivy flower, don’t worry - the little flowers aren’t particularly showy. But it sure is a thrill to get your Swdish Ivy to bloom - I've had that pleasure - and I hope someday you will be able to enjoy it as well.  The species name (australis) means southern and refers to its native home of South Africa. Although it is neither Swedish nor an ivy, the stems trail, and it does resemble an ivy. With its square stems, it is easy to tell that Swedish Ivy is a member of the mint family, and it is also related to the coleus.   Now, I always like to recommend Swedish Ivy as a perfect first houseplant for beginners. I love to grow it in a tall or cylindrical planter - or a hanging basket. And if you want to try to grow Swedish Ivy - it's pretty simple. Swedish Ivy thrives in bright indirect light. Now, the key here is the words indirect light - don’t put it in full sun, or the leaves will burn. And if your Swedish Ivy looks leggy, it needs more light. If your Swedish Ivy has yellow leaves, it's probably overwatered. In fact, it's better to keep your Swedish Ivy on the dry side than too wet. So think about all of that and if you have some issues with your Swedish Ivy - you're going to need to change the way you're taking care of it. All that said, I like to give my Swedish Ivy a spa day every so often. I think that a lovely shower in the sink with a dollop of Dawn dish soap helps to keep my Swedish Ivy dust-free and also keeps pests away, as well as providing more humidity - which they love. Finally, don’t be afraid to prune your Swedish Ivy. You can prune it back to 6-inch stems. I always think about it as giving my Swedish Ivy a haircut. You don't just let these plants grow on into infinity - they'll always look better with a little pruning and shaping - just like your hair does after a fresh cut. Then, put the cuttings into a vase of water. In a few weeks, the cuttings will be rooted, and then you can just pop them into the soil and you'll have a whole new plant. You can also use this method to make your plant fuller and more robust-looking - especially if you have a new plant. You can always add more rooted cutting to fill the plant in. It's one of Swedish Ivy's best features - they are so easy to root from cuttings. Now, if you love the green-leaved Swedish Ivy, you would probably also enjoy the sister species of this plant. There is a variegated version with white-edged leaves. I especially love that in a bright-colored pot, something orange or purple, or chinoiserie. Then there's another species - the Argentatus - that features bright, silvery leaves. This one is really fun and I love telling people that it's a sister to the Swedish Ivy because they often don't believe it.  And then finally, Amboinicus - the Cuban or Caribbean oregano species - has big, soft green leaves. It's very friendly and you get a bonus with it: a powerful oregano fragrance. I love that in the kitchen. Wouldn’t that be lovely in a pot on your kitchen counter?   Unearthed Words Since before Christmas, I have been nibbling, in odd moments, at my new catalog. I try to write word pictures of plants, which might make them irresistible. When I began the nursery twenty years ago, I issued a very small list with descriptions of plants, as I saw them, in place of photographs which I could not have afforded. My catalog has grown with the nursery over the years, but there are still no pretty pictures. I have not actually gone into the cost because, while I know they might help some readers, I myself, deep down, do not want to change. I am very attracted by good photographs in other catalogs, but I find I easily forget them. It is the difference between watching television and listening to a good radio play. I can take the works of the best writers and gardeners, such as Vita Sackville-West, Graham S. Thomas, or Christopher Lloyd, to bed and be lost till midnight, reading their thoughts and seeing their plants and gardens as a musician hears music reading a score. — Beth Chatto, garden writer and gardener, Beth Chatto's Garden Notebook, January   Grow That Garden Library A Passion for Detail by Charlotte Moss This book came out in 1991, and it’s an oldie but goodie. In this book, Charlotte shares her interior design’s beauty, which often includes elements from the natural world. To Charlotte, much of our spaces’ visual appeal can be found in the little details - and the same is true with our gardens. In Charlotte’s book, gardeners will be inspired by the variety of objects Charlotte displays - from dried flowers and vases to specimen plants and vintage pots. Charlotte encourages us to see the beauty in everyday items and incorporate things that bring us the most pleasure - even if those items are traditionally used outdoors in the garden. This book is 192 pages of inspiration courtesy of Charlotte Moss, incorporating rustic whimsy and romance in the little details that create gorgeous rooms. You can get a copy of A Passion for Detail by Charlotte Moss and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $3   Today’s Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart January 7, 1927 Today is the anniversary of the death of the American lyricist and columnist for the Atlanta Constitution, Frank Lebby Stanton. A son of the south, Frank was influenced by hymn-writers like Isaac Watts and Charles Wesley. Extraordinarily popular during his lifetime, Frank’s charming and straightforward verse evoked a feeling of nostalgia and sentiment. For instance, Frank wrote the words for the Tin Pan Alley hit song, “Mighty Like a Rose.” Among Frank’s many famous verses is this one: So many creeds like the weeds in the sod –  so many temples, and only one God. And Frank’s most famous four-lined verse is also a favorite of gardeners - and it is inscribed on his Atlanta tombstone: This world we're a'livin' in Is mighty hard to beat. You get a thorn with every rose. But ain't the roses sweet?   Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

On today's episode we have Saint Barbara.

Saint Barbara is known in the Eastern Orthodox Church as the Great Martyr Barbara. She was an early Christian Lebanese and Greek saint and martyr. Accounts place her in the 3rd century in Heliopolis Phoenicia, present-day Baalbek, Lebanon. My friend Tania shares St. Barbara's story.  Join our Levantine Masterclass: https://nasmaofny.com/online-course-membership/ Get the eBook: https://nasmaofny.com/adult-textbooks/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/levantinearabic_bynasmaofny/ Follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZ3xodgJWwMeRCE59ZNNCTQ?view_as=subscriber Special thanks to https://kabbalisticvillage.com for music Sound effect of church chanting: https://freesound.org/people/Timbre/sounds/103222/ Music for the lullaby song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_k3wm84cEm0

What is the relationship between technological production and the United States military? What can career technologists learn from service careers? And how can entrepreneurs stay the course of their vision of “doing good,” and also “do well?”In this episode, I sit down with Ret. Col. Rob Gordon III, now the Chief Growth Officer of SBG Solutions to talk about what the tech sphere can learn from the culture and values of national service.Robert L. Gordon III has extensive senior management and cross-sector experience in the military, government, high tech, and nonprofit sectors. He is currently the Chief Growth Officer of SBG Technology Solutions, leading SBG's growth and strategy portfolio to expand capabilities in national security and health among SBG’s government clientele.In 2010 Rob was appointed the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy in the Obama Administration, where Rob was responsible for defense-wide policy, program execution and oversight of more than $20 billion of the Department of Defense’s (DoD) worldwide community and family programs and initiatives affecting over four million military active duty service and family members, and two million retirees. Rob also led the effort to revitalize 160 public schools on US based military installations – a $900 million initiative. For his Pentagon service Rob was awarded the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service.He is an advisor to several technology startups, and is on the advisory council of Princeton University’s School for Public and International Affairs. Among Rob’s awards and recognitions, he is the recipient of the Bernard Gill Urban Service-Learning Leadership Award from the National Youth Leadership Council; Princeton University's Edward P. Bullard Distinguished Alumnus Award; two awards of the Honorable Order of Saint Barbara; and the Franklin Award by the National Conference on Citizenship.

Episode no 5 is with a wonderful mentee of Nicole Montgomerie. Nicole is the Director Of learning at Saint Barbara's Parish School in Roxby Downs South Australia. Nicole is an incredible teacher, mum of two gorgeous children and a very wise human being who completed my 12 month mentee program in early 2019 and is doing some wonderful things at her school teaching this understanding to both her pupils and parents alike. In todays episode we explore what she has seen for herself both in her personal relationships and her professional ones since she first came across this understanding at a three day event I ran, back in early 2018. I love Nicole's insights and I know you will get a lot of value from them too. If you want to find out more about Nicole and the incredible work she is doing with her students, parents and her community, please email me at hello@fionalukeis.com.au To download my free relationship masterclass click here and scroll to the bottom of the page: https://www.fionalukeis.com.au/ To join the waitlist for my next round of my online program Relatable, click here: https://www.fionalukeis.com.au/relatable-waitlist/

'Saint Barbara was from Heliopolis of Phoenicia and lived during the reign of Maximian. She was the daughter of a certain idolater named Dioscorus. When Barbara came of age, she was enlightened in her pure heart and secretly believed in the Holy Trinity. About this time Dioscorus began building a bath-house; before it was finished he was required to go away to attend to certain matters, and in his absence Barbara directed the workmen to build a third window in addition to the two her father had commanded. She also inscribed the sign of the Cross with her finger upon the marble of the bath-house, leaving the saving sign cut as deeply into the marble as if it had been done with an iron tool. When the Synaxarion of Saint Barbara was written, the marble of the bath-house and the cross inscribed by Saint Barbara were still preserved, and many healings were worked there. When Dioscorus returned, he asked why the third window had been added; Barbara began to declare to him the mystery of the Trinity. Because she refused to renounce her faith, Dioscorus tortured Barbara inhumanly, and after subjecting her to many sufferings he beheaded her with his own hands, in the year 290.' (Great Horologion)

'Saint Barbara was from Heliopolis of Phoenicia and lived during the reign of Maximian. She was the daughter of a certain idolater named Dioscorus. When Barbara came of age, she was enlightened in her pure heart and secretly believed in the Holy Trinity. About this time Dioscorus began building a bath-house; before it was finished he was required to go away to attend to certain matters, and in his absence Barbara directed the workmen to build a third window in addition to the two her father had commanded. She also inscribed the sign of the Cross with her finger upon the marble of the bath-house, leaving the saving sign cut as deeply into the marble as if it had been done with an iron tool. When the Synaxarion of Saint Barbara was written, the marble of the bath-house and the cross inscribed by Saint Barbara were still preserved, and many healings were worked there. When Dioscorus returned, he asked why the third window had been added; Barbara began to declare to him the mystery of the Trinity. Because she refused to renounce her faith, Dioscorus tortured Barbara inhumanly, and after subjecting her to many sufferings he beheaded her with his own hands, in the year 290.' (Great Horologion)

BB Mini Episodes are dedicated to talking about NON-Biblical Baggage associated with the Christian church.

It's a new year and the pledge drives are over. But that hasn't stopped us from talking about people asking for your money. This week we dive into the practice of Tithing, or giving 10%. Our saint is Saint Barbara, who had very strong opinions on window placement.  Theme Song: Adam Griffin- Check out his Comedy Rap Live Show January 16th at the Elbo Room in Chicago!  https://alteringgravity.wordpress.com/ https://bit.ly/2Ruo5Sj for Tickets! Logo: David Griffin Editing: Shannon Desmond Email us at sundayschoolforheathens@gmail.com Tweet at us @school4heathens  

The Worthy Parts Industry Link -- Auction & Expo is happening in Kalgoorlie-Boulder this December 3 and 4. And it's going to be big – very, very big. Each Wednesday, join me, Peter Finn, managing director of FACE Contracting, as I navigate the ups and downs of the mining industry with forward-thinking professionals from all walks of life. If you're involved in the mining industry in any way – whether you're a lifer or a high-school student looking to make the leap – Full Production is the podcast for you. In this special mini episode, my guest, Michael ‘Wortho' Worthington, breaks away from his hectic schedule as ‘ringmaster' of the Worthy Parts Expo to give us an update on what's happening during the biggest four days on the Kalgoorlie-Boulder calendar. The Expo follows hot on the heels of Kalgoorlie's iconic Saint Barbara's Day Festival, that happens on the weekend of December 1 and 2. Together it's going to be one hell of a show in the gold fields, and a long weekend not to miss. Michael gives us the good oil on: What The Worthy Parts Expo is all about The highlights on this year's Expo Travel and accommodation options Where to see the big machines roll into town A special networking event at the Palace Hotel The big mining charity challenge (we're talking 2,900 G big), and how to get involved How to be part of the Expo (a few places still available) How to join the Full Production podcast live at the event   Links: Worthy Parts Industry Link Auction & Expo Worthy Parts – Facebook Worthy Parts – Instagram

How I almost found myself possessed by the god of thunder, plus how to increase intuition and psychic sensitivityHi everybody, I'm Barbara Fernandez, the Rocking Raw Chef, here with my Clean Food, Dirty Stories: one to entertain, the other to inspire.I help people stamp out stress, depression and fatigue over at RockingRawChef.com, and today's title is:Playing With SpiritsIn addition to this story, at the end of this episode I'll share with you some top tips to increase intuition.OK enough hints from me, let's get on with the story.A pretty crazy storyFirst let me say that when I say playing with spirits, I'm not talking about Ouija boards. And I don't mean playing with them as in being disrespectful. This story is all about their power, how they can help and how that relates – yes, surprise, surprise – to food.Off to CaliforniaThis story begins when I decided to go out to the San Francisco Bay area to live there for a while. I was in a bit of a mess, as I'd just gotten ejected out of a relationship in a very painful way. This included a cry-for-help-disguised-as-a-suicide-attempt and a hospital stay which I talk about in last week's episode.So to say that I was a bit fragile would probably be an understatement. However I knew that I would meet some amazing people in the Bay area, and I couldn't wait to reconnect with one of my favorite people in the world. She's one of my dearest friends and has been since college, and she was like, “Come and stay! I'll help you settle in”. Well, I couldn't resist that offer. Her name is Francesca and her story is incredible. In fact Francesca overcame depression as well, and we share her story in Episode 12, From Depression To Diva.Anyway I got on a plane and went to Oakland California, where luckily my friend helped me land a job through a temp agency. I don't even remember what I did there, I think it was something in marketing and I know it involved a computer, but the rest of it is pretty much a blur. I do know that I made a big effort to dress really nicely every day. For some reason that's the one thing I remember. Superficial perhaps, but true – although I did get pleasure out of looking nice. Even though on the inside I was still a bit fragile.A clothing-optional weekend, with SanteriaFortunately for me I made friends really easily through Francesca. And shortly after I had arrived, Francesca invited me to come along to a clothing-optional weekend where we'd attend some ceremonies. One was a sweat lodge, which I've talked about in Episode 19, and the other was a ceremony in a tradition called Santeria. Plus as the weekend was going to be clothing-optional, well that alone was going to be a new experience for me. And of course I was up for it.I'll talk about the clothing-optional aspect of the weekend in another episode because that alone was really interesting. This week I want to focus on what happened between me and the spirits. First though, let me tell you a little bit about Santeria.A simplified definition of SanteriaSanteria means 'way of the saints'. It's an Afro-Carribean religion that originated in Cuba and was traditionally practiced by descendants of West African slaves. Practitioners replaced the slave owners' Catholic saints with their own spirits, called the Orisha. The Orisha are the go-betweens, if you like, the way in which we can connect with the one energy linking everything in the universe, which in Santeria is called Olorun. So kind of like using saints to interact with God, except you're using Orishas. That's way oversimplifying this, but this is just to give you an idea. I'll link to where you can find out more about Santeria in the show notes.Anyway I went with Francesca to a beautiful place in California called Harbin Hot Springs. Harbin has been a very strong spiritual center for people from all over to go and relax in its hot springs while doing yoga and all kinds of other good stuff.Drumming, dancing and spirit possessionAnd on the Friday night, I got my first introduction to Santeria in the form of a drumming and dancing ceremony. Now I knew nothing about Santeria. All I knew was that we were going to be doing some drumming. That was it. I never suspected that we would use drumming and dancing to let some of us be possessed (temporarily of course) by one of the Orishas.At this point you may be wondering, 'Why would anyone allow themselves to be possessed by a spirit?' Or you might be thinking, 'This is totally insane, I'm out of here'. But bear with me because what happened was pretty amazing.Now, people contact the Orishas to help them and others with their lives. It's also a way for them to expand their personalities, because each Orisha has a very distinct personality, as I was soon to discover for myself. So if you're normally a very timid woman for example, it can be quite something to suddenly be a big, burly spirit who loves cigars. That kind of thing. But I didn't know any of that at first.So the drumming started. I really liked the music, it was really healing to be able to just move around freely and enjoy the drums. People had left offerings for the Orishas on various altars, and each Orisha was honored by participants playing their song in a specific order. It's while the Orisha's song is playing that any of his or her devotees can be possessed by that Orisha.Enter the OrishasAnd yes, you can have several people possessed by the same Orisha at once. Energy is limitless, after all, so I don't know about you but that does make total sense to me. And I saw it, anyway, which was incredible.So suddenly one woman picked up and lit one of the cigars. She puffed away while walking around like a warrior. I learned that Oshun was the Orisha that she connected with, and Oshun loves cigars, very spicy food like hot peppers, and rum. So those were some of the things offered to him, and her whole personality changed. I mean, she was definitely not there, and someone else was. You could really tell. It was incredible, especially as I'd never seen anything like this before. OK well I had actually, once before when I assisted at a past-life regression that kind of went badly. But that's another story!Other songs and other Orishas came to the ceremony too, until there were about a quarter of the participants who were one Orisha or another. Oh and by the way, one interesting thing was that the people who were possessed by Orishas always knew instantly when someone else was about to be taken over as well. They knew even before the person did, and they'd run up to them and spin them around to help the process along.Knock, knock, knocking at my brain's doorI know this all sounds crazy, but bear with me! The music changed again, and it was at this point that all of a sudden I felt like someone was knocking on a door situated about three feet up and behind the top of my head. I kid you not. Literally knocking and asking if I'd let him in. He was very polite, at least he asked. I knew it was a 'he', though I can't tell you how I knew, because the only thing I knew about any of the Orishas were that some were male and some were female. That was it. It's important that I emphasize my total lack of knowledge by the way, because of what came later.So I'm feeling this knocking at my door and I'm thinking, 'Nooooo, I didn't really have spirit possession in mind when I came on this weekend, thank you'. But the other Orishas came rushing over to me and started laughing and spinning me around. Mind you, I hadn't even been moving before this. It happened in a split second, and none of these people knew me. But they knew something was happening.Well, I didn't let the Orisha in, but he wasn't quite finished with me yet. The others laughed and spun away dancing, and the evening went on. I learned by the way that the Orisha who had come knocking was Shango. Shango, I later learned, is the god of thunder, war and virility, and is also the Master Drummer and Master Dancer. So pretty cool.Messages from the spirit worldAnyway at this point all of the Orishas had come, and they went round helping the other people present by going up to them and giving them messages. I had three different Orishas come up to me. And the messages were incredible. One of them said to me, “You're not done in France yet. You'll go back there pretty soon.” At that time I had no idea what my plans were, let alone anyone else. No-one there even knew I'd been living in France. Another Orisha said, “Ah, you need a place to live! Don't worry, we'll help you”.Which they did, because when I got back from the weekend on the Sunday afternoon, there was a message on the answering machine offering me an apartment. Amazing! Particularly as we hadn't placed an ad – we were only asking a few friends.Now I mentioned earlier that after Shango had knocked on my door and I'd turned him away that he hadn't finished with me yet. And he hadn't. The reason I know this was because of the sweat lodge which was on the Saturday.Shango and the sweat lodgeIf you don't know what a sweat lodge is, it's basically a large, enclosed tent with a pit in the middle. Hot volcanic rocks are placed in the pit and the shaman or ceremony leader pours water over the rocks, and so it's like a very intense steam room. But very intense. I'm talking so hot that it's unbearable. The reason for that is so that you can clear out not only physical toxins, but emotional and spiritual ones as well. It was very intense and I've spoken about that detox process in Episode 19.What I didn't say though was that at one point I felt this almost irresistible urge to run over the hot coals in the pit. I was like, 'where is this coming from?' I mean I didn't have a habit of running over hot coals. In fact I'd never done that – not until years later when I went to a Tony Robbins seminar weekend and walked over a long row of hot coals. But that's another story.Anyway I was fighting off the urge to run over the coals. And eventually the urge passed and I survived the sweat lodge. But I wondered about it. I thought it might have been a memory from a past life or something. So when I got back home, I looked up some information on the Orishas and what did I discover? Shango's devotees are known for doing...guess what? Running over hot coals.My most amazing discovery...that happened today!I mentioned before that each Orisha is associated with a Catholic saint. This enabled the people to keep worshipping their deities, all while giving the appearance of adopting Catholicism. Apparently there are more than 10,000 saints, which I didn't know. That's a LOT of saints, right? And according to the Yoruba tradition there are 401 Orishas, as 401 is a sacred number. So that's a lot of deities. I'm telling you this because I learned TODAY as I was researching for this episode that out of all the Catholic saints, guess which one Shango is associated with? Saint Barbara! Isn't that just so freaky? I still can't believe it. It's like Shango is up there laughing. I can't believe that I didn't even know this until now. I'd looked into the Orishas a bit more when I got back to France, I'd read a book about them and other things, but somehow I'd never seen that till today! Amazing!How my skeptic son started his day todaySo because my mind was basically blown at breakfast, I had to tell my son about it immediately. He's home from college at the moment. I should clarify for you that he really doesn't believe in any spirit-related stuff. Which is I guess normal considering that both his parents have been involved with spiritual organizations for over 30 years, and his grandmother was a very well-known shaman in Mexico. Teenage rebellion and all that, right?So the lucky boy comes down for breakfast this morning to his mother saying, “Did I ever tell you about the time I was with people who were drumming and let themselves be possessed by spirits?” To which he laughed and shook his head, saying, “OK Mom. Let me get my hippy hat on”. And he listened patiently while I told him this story.He thinks I'm a bit crazy anyway, so now I'd say he's sure of it.I have to say though that even he was impressed with the saint thing. When I showed him the webpage where I found it, I could see he was really surprised. So who knows, maybe he'll discover his own story with spirits one day.Why I'm telling you this storyAnyway, what on earth do spirits have to do with food? Why am I telling you this story?There are two reasons actually. The first is that I think it makes a good story, whether you have had any of those kinds of experiences or not.And the second is that if you're into any kind of spiritual practice, well I want you to know that food can actually help speed up or intensify your journey. I'm not talking magic mushrooms, although we did talk about those in Episode 10 where we talk about Ayahuasca.I'm actually talking about normal, everyday foods that you probably have in your house. Fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds – all of the things that you'd normally eat as part of getting more raw food into your life. These foods are powerful. They go way beyond health benefits, and I'll talk more about that in future episodes. But for now I'd like to give you some general principles so that if you do any kind of spiritual practice, or even if you'd just like to be more intuitive, you can get some practical tips for that right now.Principles to increase intuition and supercharge your spiritual practiceSo the first principle which I'm sure will come as no surprise to anyone is that it's important to eat organic as much as possible.The most important idea within eating organic is that the higher the water content of the food, the more important it is that you get it organic. Why? Because the water is what holds all those pesticides and poisons that have been sprayed on the fruit or vegetable throughout its life.Pesticides in particular are known as 'intuition blockers', so do avoid them as much as you can.By the way I don't want anyone to get paranoid here – I know people who eat all kinds of awful food and are still intuitive. I'm just giving you ways to get the very best out of yourself. So this isn't an all-or-nothing ideal that you must achieve. It's a tool, like anything else, that you can use as much as you are able or as you want to.Eat more raw, unprocessed foodsWell of course. If you know me, I'm all about that, and of course I show you how to do this in super delicious ways. Because life is too short for carrot sticks, as we all know. Right? If you need ideas for how to make delicious raw food dishes in 5 minutes, I'll link to my 5-minute recipe ebooks in the show notes.If we want to be more and more connected to the earth as well as all its creatures, which I'll talk about in another episode, eating food in its most natural state just makes sense. Nature did not provide us with microwave ovens. Right?It's the life-force in raw foods that literally feeds our psychic energy. It feeds our emotional and mental energy too. So if you've been listening to the podcast, you'll know that a lot of these suggestions are the same ones I make for starting to overcome depression. The more 'light' you eat, the more full of light you are, emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually.Another tip for eating lots of raw foods is to include as many colors as possible. Colors in food are there for a reason – each color is made up of different phytonutrients. And we need a variety of these for good health. That's why you'll hear people suggest that we 'eat the rainbow'. Just not a cooked rainbow, please. An experiment: do try this at home!In fact here's an experiment for you that will really make you think. Make yourself a raw soup or curry. You can use one of my recipes on the blog or in my ebooks. Then take part of that soup or curry, and heat it gently. Use what I call the pinky test to make sure that it's warm but not too hot. In other words, that you can keep your pinky in there without burning yourself. Then take the other part of that soup or curry, and heat it a lot. Cook it, in other words. So if it's a soup, let it boil quickly. Then remove it from the heat.Now I want you to look at the colors of each pot. You will see that the vibrant colors of the raw soup or curry have faded to almost nothing when you boil that same dish. The difference is amazing. You can literally see that some of the phytonutrients have been altered from their natural state. The colors aren't as bright. It's like eating sunshine versus eating pond water. Big difference, right? OK it's not quite that bad, but I wanted to give you an analogy.If you're already pretty psychic or sensitiveNow if you're already pretty sensitive, I do have a word of caution for you. Eating more raw food is like connecting fiber optic broadband to your intuition. And sometimes that might be too much. For instance, when I first moved to Paris as a vegetarian, I actually had to eat meat for a while to ground myself because I wasn't used to that many people in enclosed spaces like the subway. Unfortunately meat really lowers your overall vibration though. I'll talk more about that in another episode.Easier ways to ground yourselfNow I know of way easier ways to ground myself. Crystals work really well – but that's another story as it's quite a big topic and I want to give you solutions that you can use immediately. So if you haven't got crystals handy, you can use food. Potatoes for instance are one of the best grounding foods ever. You can't eat them raw, so just pile on some salad and a dressing with your baked potato. You should feel more grounded instantly.If you're not vegan, eggs are also very grounding. I don't recommend commercially produced eggs because the chickens are put through hell, but a lot of places now have free-range eggs. Or better yet, get them from a farm where you know how the animals are treated. Again, I'm speaking about an ideal here – just do the best you can with what you've got, I say.Cheese is also very grounding, but because it's a very heavy and clogging food, I don't normally recommend it. You can however make cashew nut cheese, which can still be raw vegan and works pretty well. I've got recipes for delicious cheeses on the blog which I'll link to in the show notes.Foods to avoid to increase intuitionIf you want to increase intuition, in addition to foods to include, there are also foods to avoid. You want to avoid anything that will lower your vibratory rate as well as interfere with any of the systems of the body. And particularly with your brain.So the shortcut principle to this is to think of brain foods. Brain foods are going to be great for your intuition and overall sensitivity. And if you haven't yet gotten your handy fridge chart that shows at a glance the best brain foods to eat and those to avoid, I'll link to that in the show notes too.But the short version of foods to avoid starts with meat, especially red meat. If you really feel you need meat, then I'd say less is more, and try to get organic, free-range meat. Or failing that, kosher. This is because you don't want to absorb not only the growth hormones, but also the vibrations of an animal that has been kept in stressful conditions and then was full of fear before it was slaughtered.If you feel you must eat meatAnimals are here to share this planet with us, and they are more magical than you could ever imagine. I'll share more about that in a future episode because it's another huge topic.For now though, let me say that if you feel you have to eat meat, better to eat meat from an animal that was allowed to live a full, relatively free life and was killed with respect, reverence and gratitude. Many tribal peoples thank the animal for giving its life. They kill it quickly to feed themselves and their families, not for sport. And they don't gorge themselves – they take what they need with very little waste.Another important aspect of this is to eat lighter meats like fish and poultry. Red meat is the densest, most difficult to digest. It takes between 24 to 72 hours to digest meat, depending on your digestive tract. Three days! Ugh!Fish and mercury levelsIf you eat fish, my top tip here is to avoid fish with high levels of mercury. Mercury is very toxic for the brain, so not only does it dampen sensitivity, but it's felt to contribute towards all kinds of auto-immune disorders such as Alzheimer's and dementia. So stick to fish like salmon, tilapia and cod. I'll link to an updated list of mercury levels in fish in the show notes for those who eat fish.Other foods to avoid to increase intuitionThe second thing to avoid is anything with additives, flavor enhancers and artificial sweeteners. In other words, anything containing chemical substances pretending that they're food.This makes sense though, right? So junk food, frozen ready meals, things like that. Oh and MSG, that's another one to avoid. Some people get headaches from MSG which is their body telling them, 'I don't like this. Get it out!'And of course the last thing I'll mention is sugar. And when I say sugar, I don't mean fruit sugar. I mean good ol' granulated, processed white stuff that looks like an illegal drug. But it's a legal drug that's every bit as addictive, and it lowers our overall vibration. It also has no health benefits whatsoever. If you're struggling to kick the sugar habit, get yourself some xylitol. It looks like sugar but it's made from plant sources and it's glycemic index is lower, which means it won't hit your bloodstream like a hit of I-don't-know-what-illegal-substance.Other alternatives to sugarYou can also use dates, coconut palm sugar, honey if you're not vegan – so there are plenty of choices and they're all easy to use. Even maple syrup is better for you. Yes it's been processed so it's not technically raw. But it's delicious and again it's way better for you than white sugar. If you do buy maple syrup, be sure to get the pure 100 percent syrup (and not the fake stuff that's mixed with corn syrup, just check the label).There are a lot of other things you can do to increase intuition and raise your overall sensitivity, and I'll go into those in future episodes. For now though, I wanted to give you some easy, practical things that you can do today.Have YOU got a story to share?Whew! Lots of information this week, I hope you enjoyed it!This brings us to the end of this week's story – and if you've got a true story to share (and you'd like to know what food could have saved the day or enhanced your particular situation), I'd love to hear from you!Got a question, or a comment?Got a question, or a comment? Pop a note below in the comments, that would be awesome. You can also subscribe to the podcast to listen 'on the go' in iTunes, Stitcher or TuneIn.I hope you have an amazing day. Thank you so much for being here with me to share in my Clean Food, Dirty Stories. Bye for now!RESOURCESTo get your handy fridge chart: http://rockingrawchef.com/10-years-younger/More about eating for intuition: http://rockingrawchef.com/increase-intuition-with-food/Nut cheese recipes: http://rockingrawchef.com/cheese-on-a-raw-food-diet/ Link to 5-Minute recipe ebooks: https://rockingrawchef.com/5-minute-recipes/More about Santeria: https://prezi.com/hodskbeqn6oa/santeria-candomble/More about specific Orishas: https://lukumipeople.wordpress.com/2013/04/01/the-orisha-who-do-you-most-identify-with/Harbin Hot Springs: https://harbin.org/Mercury levels in fish (as of July 2017): https://www.thespruce.com/check-fish-for-mercury-before-buying-1300629

"Saint Barbara," from Women of Faith, written by Calee M. Lee, illustrated by Lisa Graves (Xist Publishing, 2015)

"Saint Cecilia" and "Saint Barbara" from Saints: Lives and Illuminations, written and illustrated by Ruth Sanderson, read with permission by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2007.