Greek Magical Papyri (PGM): What They Actually Contain
This article explains, as a matter of sources, what the Greek Magical Papyri (Papyri Graecae Magicae, or PGM) are, how they survived, and what the texts actually contain....
Bronzite Meaning: The Stone With a Bronze Sheen
Bronzite is a stone most people walk right past at a gem show, because in the bowl it looks like a pebble from the yard: brown, dull, a...
Spinel: The August Birthstone That Was Called Ruby
The "ruby" in the front of the British Imperial State Crown is not a ruby. The 170-carat stone that has come down through history as the Black Prince's...
Zircon vs. Cubic Zirconia: How to Tell Them Apart
Two stones, almost the same name, and nearly everyone mixes them up. Zircon is a natural mineral older than anything else you will ever hold: the oldest known...
Pine Resin Incense: Spruce vs. Pine and How to Burn It
Frankincense travels from Oman, copal from Mexico, myrrh from the Horn of Africa. The resin that does not need a passport grows at the edge of the nearest...
Lemon Balm Spiritual Meaning, Uses & How to Grow It
Some herbs shout and some herbs whisper. Lemon balm whispers. It grows in every garden where it has once been allowed, smells of lemon and honey when you...
Rat Spiritual Meaning: Symbolism, Omens & Dreams
No animal in the Western world has a worse reputation than the rat, and few hold up so badly under examination. In China it is the first sign...
909 Angel Number & 9:09 Mirror Hour Meaning
9:09 is the mirror hour of an ending that makes room. Twice the nine, the last and highest of the single digits, and in front of each on...
1616 Angel Number & 16:16 Mirror Hour Meaning
16:16 is the mirror hour that reassures people least, and for an understandable reason: card sixteen of the tarot is the Tower. On an American kitchen clock you...
Itchy Palm Meaning: Left Hand, Right Hand & Money
An itchy palm is one of the oldest body omens still in everyday use. Say "my palm is itching" at an American kitchen table and someone will answer...
1155 Angel Number Meaning: The Eleventh Hour Change
1155 is the angel number of a change that can no longer be put off: two ones that demand a beginning and two fives that say something is...
1515 Angel Number & 15:15 Mirror Hour Meaning
15:15 falls in the middle of the afternoon, in the hour when the day tips over. On a 12-hour clock it is 3:15 p.m., so American readers often...