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I used to say that politics was the second lowest profession and I have come to know that it bears a great similarity to the first.
Ronald Reagan, on May 13, 1979, while campaigning for President of the USA   Source

May 13 is the 133^rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (134^th in leap years), with 232 days remaining.
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Festival of Purulliyas, ancient Anatolia, Turkey

Today commemorates the legend of the conquest of the dragon, Illuyankas (Illuyanka), by Teshub, the Hittite storm god controlling rainfall over the dragon of drought and flood. It is connected with European folk customs linking the May red-letter days of Rogation, Ascension and the feast of the dragon-killer, St George (also a spring custom, celebrated on April 23 in the West).

The storm god had been feuding and Illuyankas had won from him the deity's eyes and heart. Unnerved, the storm god visited an oracle, Inaras, who told him that to get his heart and eyes back, he'd have to have a son by a mortal (but not tell the lad he was a deity), and when that son was himself married, the boy was to ask the dragon to return his father's organs.

The storm god did as the oracle had bidden, and his son grew to adulthood, but the young man fell in love with the beautiful daughter of the dragon (unbeknownst to him). He did as his father requested and asked for the heart and eyes of the storm god as a wedding gift.

The dragon obliged and when the storm god got back his vital organs, he was now able to kill the dragon. His father-in-law, so distraught by his place in all this, committed suicide.

'Hittites' is the conventional English-language term for an ancient people who established a kingdom centered in Hattusa (the modern village of Boğazköy in north-central Turkey), through most of the second millennium BCE. The Hittite kingdom, or at least its core region, was apparently called 'Hatti' in the reconstructed Hittite language. It is uncertain whether the Hittites in the Bible were the same people.

Some ethnologists and linguists believe that Turkey might be the prime contender for the place of origin of the Indo-European languages, and many scholars believe that agriculture began in that region.

"More recent evidence now places the probable origin of the Indo-European language in western Asia. Three generations of archaeologists and linguists have thus far excavated and deciphered manuscripts in close to a dozen ancient languages from sites in modern Turkey and as far east as Tocharia, in modern Turkestan. Their observations, together with new ideas in pure linguistic theory, have made it necessary to revise the canons of linguistic evolution."
The Early History of Indo-European Languages

More on Illuyankas    Dragons of Fame  

Celtic tree month of Huath commences (May 13 - Jun 9)

Like other Iron Age Europeans, the Celts were a polytheistic people prior to their conversion to (Celtic) Christianity. The Celts divided the year into 13 lunar cycles (months or moons). These were linked to specific sacred trees which gave each moon its name. Today commences the Celtic tree month of Hawthorn.

Hawthorn: Crataegus Laevigata

Hawthorn is a thorny tree that thrives in hedgerows and fields in the temperate regions of Europe and the British Isles. Its name originates from the Greek word kratos meaning strength and refers to the nature of the wood. Other names include 'white thorn' and 'hogberry'. It blooms in May (in the Northern Hemisphere)  producing luscious red fruits and hence receives one of its most popular names, 'May-blossom'. 

Folklore

Hawthorn was regarded as a valuable heart remedy as far back as the Middle Ages. The Hawthorn was considered sacred in early times and believed to furnish the Crown of Thorns. Legend has it that between 30-63 St Joseph of Arimathea went to England and planted his hawthorn staff in Glastonbury soil. This became known as The Glastonbury Thorn and grew and blossomed at Christmas and Easter as if in celebration of the Christian Year. The Celts used Hawthorn in May celebrations using it to dress maypoles and symbolic effigies, and associated it with fertility.


Uses of Hawthorn

Hawthorn's therapeutic actions come from the berries, flowers and leaves. The total complex of plant constituents is considered valuable as a remedy for those with circulatory and cardiac problems. 

It is believed to regulate and support these systems and be beneficial to use in the following conditions:

Angina – Believed to give relief from cramp-like symptoms. 
Mild congestive heart failure – Believed to increase cardiac output and increase the flow of blood through the coronary arteries. 
Arrhythmia (irregular heart beat) – Thought to counteract rhythm disturbances. 
High blood pressure – Believed to cause vasodilatation of peripheral blood vessels and lower blood pressure. 
Nervous Heart Disorders (palpitations) – Believed to have a sedative effect on the nervous system which may render it useful in heart conditions where the nerves are involved. 
Heart Weakness – as caused by infectious diseases e.g. pneumonia, scarlet fever and diphtheria. Is believed to restore and support heart function.

It is also believed to encourage concentration and memory function as it improves circulation of blood and oxygen to the brain!


Dosage

Tea: It is preferable to use a mixture of flowers and leaves. If berries are used it is better to decoct than diffuse. Use 2 teaspoons of herb per cup of boiling water. Infuse for 20mins. Drink 2-3 cups daily.
Tincture: (1:5) 50-100 drops 3 x daily
Fluid Extract: (1:1) 10-20 drops 3 x daily
Capsules: (min 325mg) 1-2 capsules 3-6 x daily
Or follow the instructions on any proprietary pack of Hawthorn being used.


Cautions

Crataegus is considered to be a non-toxic herb. It does not accumulate in the body as Digitalis does. There are no apparent side effects and is not believed to lead to dependence. Due to this Hawthorn is believed to be safe to use over long periods. 

Hawthorn is believed to possess hypotensive action and as a result should be used with caution in low blood pressure. Studies have shown the herb to decrease blood pressure even further and in some instances cause fainting. Check with your doctor before taking hawthorn if you are taking any medication for blood pressure.


Summary

Hawthorn is considered a valuable herb for the heart and cardiovascular system. It may combine well with Melissa and Lavender in nervous heart conditions. In hypertension it may combine well with Lime Blossom, Yarrow and Mistletoe. As long as it is avoided in low blood pressure it can be taken with benefit by anyone who wants to support the function of the heart. 

© 2000-2002 Shelley Day, Alternative Healthzine. Reprinted with permission.

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Tree: Hawthorn /  Hagedorn /  Oxiacanta 

Characteristic: Cleansing
Color: Midnight blue
Crystal: Lapis Lazulite
Planet: Uranus
Starsign:  Aquarius
Artus Saga: Sir Geraint
Station: 13. Chaos
Station quality: Dreams

Source

"Mythical: Thomas the Rhymer (True Thomas, Thomas of Erceldoune) is said to have received his initiation at the hands of the Queen of Elphame (who came riding amid the sound of nine and fifty small silver bells) underneath the Hawthorn. A prophecy spoken by Thomas in regards to his lands was in reference to this very Thorn tree; 'As long as the Thorn Tree stands, Erceldoune shall keep its lands.' In 1814 a terrible gale took down the aged Thorn and a series of financial disasters swept through the community and all the common land was sold to make payment on an outstanding debt thus fulfilling the words spoken by Thomas 600 years earlier.

• Wood from the Hawthorn provides one of the hottest fires thus showing its fiery Martial nature.
• Hawthorn is one of the Nine Sacred Woods of the British Isles and traditionally used in Roodmas [September 14 – PW] balefires.
• Hawthorn trees guard Sacred Wells in Ireland and folks are known to leave objects called clouties which are pieces of cloth that are hung about the thorns and are left as a physical representation of the wishes and desires of the heart.
• Witches are said to be able to transform into the delightfully musky scented Hawthorn at will.
• An old legend states that the first Hawthorn bush grew from the staff of St. Joseph.
• Hawthorn branches hidden in the rafters of the barn will keep the cattle safe and protect against unwanted wights, lightning and storms.
• Hawthorn leaves placed in cradles will protect the child within from baneful influences."

Source: Hawthorn to Heal and Blackthorn to Harm

 

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Feast day of St Julian of Norwich  (Dame Julian of Norwich; Blessed Julian; Juliana, Anchoress at Norwich; Mother Julian of Norwich) She was a recluse under the direction of Benedictines in Norwich, England. From Wikipedia: Julian of Norwich (c. 1342 - c. 1413) is considered to be one of the greatest English mystics. Little is known of her life aside from her writings. Even her name is uncertain, the name 'Julian' coming from the Church of St Julian in Norwich, where she occupied a cell adjoining the church as an anchoress. At the age of thirty, suffering from a severe illness and believing she was on her deathbed, Julian had a series of intense visions. These visions would twenty years later be the source of her major work, called Sixteen Revelations of Divine Love (c. 1393), unpublished until 1901 when they were edited by Grace Warrack. This is believed to be the first book written by a woman in the English language. A modern statue of her has been added to the facade of the Anglican Norwich Cathedral. She is commemorated by the Anglican Church on May 8 and by the Roman Catholic Church on May 13. Revelations of Divine Love    Mother Julian of Norwich    Who was Saint Julian? Julian of Norwich, Texts and Contexts    Rev. Linda Loving as Julian of Norwich Biographical sketch, with portrait    Short appreciation with historical background Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to St Julian of Norwich   Festival of the Lemuralia, festival of ghosts, ancient Rome (also May 9 and 11) In Roman religion, Lemures were wandering spirits of departed loved ones. They were said to revisit their homes at this time, and were shown respect by the Roman people, who set aside a week to appease, or exorcise them. We may think of it as similar, and serving a similar function to, Halloween (Samhain). 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