Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Focus On Minerals - Book Review
Author Jerry Wermund held a long career in geology and upon retirement he started writing a series of book for children and young adult Earth Science studies. The author?s love for nature and academic experience shows in his latest book, Focus On Minerals. Illustrated by Tony Sansevero, a graduate of the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston. His studio, ?Magical Ideas?, has created various images, illustrations and art projects for publications and individuals for a number of years. A Member of the Society of Children?s Book Writers and illustrators, Tony?s award winning art has appeared in at least 15 other books and novels. I have to say that the illustrations were impressive and held me captivated for several moments at a time. Smiling children and adults having a good time with various activities, adventures and discoveries. I even laughed out loud when I saw the expressions on the young girls faces on page 39. The author explains the origin of the mineral name, textures, shapes, colors and origins of each mineral. Jerry successfully reveals how human life has been altered with each new mineral discovery. More than thirty minerals are defined in this young scholar?s book; photos of which are also located at the end of the book in the glossary section along with a description of each mineral. Terms and scientific information is also included for classes or home schooled youth to use in their studies. Sadly, Mr. Wermund appeared to make attempts at the use poetic or perhaps lyric style writing for 90% of the text? and failed. In fact, I found it a little hard to understand and had to think about what he was getting at on at least one page. Regardless, the book has a lot to offer ? including the ability to hold the attention of young people for a few moments per page. ISBN: 0972625526 Publisher: Rock On Publishing ~ Lillian Brummet: co-author of the books Trash Talk and Purple Snowflake Marketing, author of Towards Understanding http://www.sunshinecable.com/~drumit
Clearing Your Minerals and Gemstones
It is important to purge negative energies and recharge positive ones in your stone and mineral allies if you use these tools in your visualization and inner work. Clearing your stones periodically dispels negativity that has built up either in a stone's history or through past work it has done for you. It also recharges your tool, the way you recharge a depleted battery ... and refreshes its power the way you do your body with a good night's rest. (In a way it's only courtesy to clear and restore a mineral ally ... the way you would any tool you've used, and it's certainly how you would expect to treat a friend!) A clearing ritual resets and refreshes the stone's energy so that it may connect again with its powers and purpose, and the ritual itself refocuses your intent to make use of the stone and its assets, reaffirms your connection to it, and synchronizes the vibration of your respect and purpose with that of the stone you are using. Probably the most important part of this ritual is simply your intention. You have several options -- methods and suggestions considered traditional in gemstone work, but since your mind, spirit, and aims are the most essential part of your own spiritual life and work, it is important that you do what feels comfortable and right. There are no hard and fast requirements. If one method of clearing stones works for you, use it. If you like a combination of several things, feel free to incorporate them all. Change around the exercises if something feels good or proper to you at one time and something else another. Trust your instincts, above all. And if you feel moved to make up your own rituals, that's perfectly fine, too. * Use the smoke from a sage smudge-stick to clear and clean the energies of your stones. Sage smudges can be found in many metaphysical shops and health food stores and are a standard tool for clearing out unwanted energies from items, spaces, rooms, houses, etc. * Brush the stone in a counter-clockwise circle with your hands or roll the stone counter-clockwise in your hands while you declare that all negative energies are being removed from the stone and that its positive energies are being strengthened and realigned once more. Blow gently on the stone after completing this exercise to make sure the harmful or negative energies are indeed scattered and removed from the aura of the stone itself. * Water, of course, is an excellent cleanser. If possible, use rain water, melted snow, or water from a natural lake or free-flowing stream. Ocean water is marvelous, too, and some people, even when using fresh water like to put sea salt in the water as they wash and cleanse their stones. Yes, you can use tap water, but let it sit for a few days to discharge some of its impurities and additives. * Some people like to use water that has been set out under either the New Moon or the Full Moon to gain a particular charge. Water charged under the New Moon is especially potent for initiating projects or energies associated with the sign that the New Moon is in. Water charged under the Full Moon is good for working with relationships, choices, or bringing things to manifestation. Again, the energies of the Full Moon polarity need to be considered in making the decision to use this particular ritual. * You can warm a stone gently over the heat of a candle flame (NOT in the flame itself, but just enough to warm the stone itself.) or place it to warm by the fire on a hearth. * You might bury the stone in the earth again for a while, as a way of grounding its energies or returning it "home" again to the environment where it has existed for thousands of years before it came to be your helper and where it will probably return again someday when you are gone. A stone that has been used in serious or traumatic healing work may need special care to recharge its energies, just as you would allow a living organism to recuperate and rest after strenuous or difficult labor. For extreme cases, you might consider freezing the stone ... or putting it out in snow ... in order to slow its molecular action, just as you would allow a sick or exhausted person or animal to sleep in order to heal. When you feel it has regained its willingness to serve you, recharge it again gently with some of the above suggestions. It may take several efforts before you feel your stone has reached a state of full power and utility again. Let your intuition be your guide in making this decision. (c) 2007 by Rebecca Brents. All Rights Reserved. Rebecca Brents writes on a wide variety of spiritual and new age subjects, including astrology, tarot, feng shui, alternative health, metaphysics, and self-improvement. She publishes the extensive online new age Ezine, The Enchanted Sprite on her website: Enchanted Spirit, and offers numerous online new age lectures and new age classes in these various fields. She also provides astrology readings, tarot readings, and personal consultations through The Enchanted Spirit Metaphysical Source Shop. Stop by and subscribe to her free new age ezine, New Age-New Horizons.
How Dry We Are: European Space Agency To Test Earth's Soil ... - Science Daily (press release)
How Dry We Are: European Space Agency To Test Earth's Soil ... - Science Daily (press release)
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India shows space muscle with a 10-pack - Asia Times Online
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Measure would give food animals space - San Jose Mercury News
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Second Galileo test satellite launched successfully - Heise Online
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Bay space leasing market stays hot - Calgary Herald
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SKorea's 1st astronaut to help country develop space tech - The Associated Press
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The space blame game - MSNBC
Source: news.google.com
How Dry We Are: European Space Agency To Test Earth's Soil ... Science Daily (press release) - The European Space Agency (ESA) is set to launch the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite this fall as researchers try to learn more about the ... Atomic rhythms give precise fix |
Source: news.google.com
India shows space muscle with a 10-pack - Asia Times Online
India shows space muscle with a 10-pack Asia Times Online, Hong Kong - A Russian Dnepr carrier rocket plonked 16 microsatellites in orbit in April 2007, according to Roskosmos, the Russian Federal Space Agency in a Russian ... India strides to space with more satellite launches India Shows Space Prowess PSLV launches India into space history |
Source: news.google.com
Measure would give food animals space - San Jose Mercury News
Measure would give food animals space San Jose Mercury News, USA - If passed, the measure would require farmers to provide enough space for breeding sows, veal calves and laying hens to turn around and stretch their limbs. ... |
Source: news.google.com
Second Galileo test satellite launched successfully - Heise Online
 Times Now.tv | Second Galileo test satellite launched successfully Heise Online, Germany - The the European Space Agency (ESA) confirmed that the two solar panels powering the satellite had deployed without incident and were fully operational by ... Finding a way through space Russian space agency, ESA: Satellite for European navigation ... AVIONEWS at Telespazio's space Center in Fucino: Giove-B |
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Bay space leasing market stays hot - Calgary Herald
Bay space leasing market stays hot Calgary Herald, Canada - Demand for large bay space in Calgary's industrial real estate market continues to be strong in the first quarter of this year, says a new report by ... Demand for industrial space up around Calgary |
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SKorea's 1st astronaut to help country develop space tech - The Associated Press
 iAfrica.com | SKorea's 1st astronaut to help country develop space tech The Associated Press - SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea's first astronaut says she will do her best to help her country develop its own space technology. ... Korea's First Astronaut Hospitalized after Rough Landing SKorea's first astronaut in hospital with back pain Korean astronaut returns to earth |
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The space blame game - MSNBC
The space blame game MSNBC - Three spacefliers are still recuperating from this month's rough ride back down to Earth from the international space station aboard a Russian Soyuz ... |
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