Scourings

Everyone knows how to chant Amitabha Buddha, and every household worships Kuan Yin
- Chinese saying

Women everywhere have prayed to her as the Tibetan Tara, the Christian Madonna or as the African Yemaya and, as Kuan Yin, she is one of the most universally beloved of deities in the Buddhist tradition. Kuan Yin is invoked for healing of a sick child, relief from pain and help in all times of trouble. Like Artemis, she is a virgin Goddess who protects women, offers them an alternative to marriage, and grants children to those who desire them.

She is said to be a bodhisattva, one qualified to enter Nirvana but who chooses to remain in the earthly realms and not enter the heavenly worlds until all other living things have completed their own enlightenment and liberated from the pain-filled cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. “I am cultivating this method of great compassion and hope to save all living beings,” Kuan Yin said. “Any living being who calls my name or sees me will be free from all fear and danger.”

Her presence calms those who suffer and brings peace to the heart. Her name means “She who hears the cries of the world” and she looks without judgement, reflecting back even the tiniest amount of love magnified a thousandfold. There are numerous legends that recount the miracles which Kuan Yin performs to help those who call on her. For the Goddess of Mercy is unique among deities. She does not believe in vengeance, and is reluctant to punish even those who would benefit from a severe lesson. Those who could expect a dreadful penance in other belief systems can attain rebirth and renewal by simply calling for help with utter and absolute sincerity. It is said that, even for one kneeling beneath the sword of the executioner, a single heartfelt cry to Bodhisattva Kuan Yin will cause the blade to fall shattered.

Kuan Yin may be shown either in a standing or in a sitting position, but on top of her crown there is always an image of a buddha. In her hands she may hold a willow branch, a vase with water, or a lotus flower. The willow branch is used to either heal the ill or to grant requests and the water symbolises cleansing so that all living things are blessed with physical and spiritual peace. Her right hand often points downward, with the palm facing outward, the posture of granting a wish. In many images she also carries the pearls of illumination. She holds a sheaf of ripe rice or a bowl of rice seed to denote fertility and the dragon, an ancient symbol for wisdom and strength is associated with her. Dressed in flowing white robes she is sometimes adorned with ornaments to denote her attainment as bodhisattva, or she is shown without them as a sign of great virtue.

A popular form depicts her with a thousand eyes and a thousand hands. The thousand eyes let her see the suffering creatures in this world, and the thousand hands allow her to reach out to help them.

The compassion of Kuan Yin can transform us. We learn the blessing of mercy in the arms of a mother and, with our own eyes and hands, we can help others.

Susanna Duffy is a Civil Celebrant, grief counsellor and mythologist. She creates ceremonies and Rites of Passage for individual and civic functions, and specialises in Croning and other celebrations for women. http://celebrant.yarralink.com

Makeup can be one more accessory to your personal image and
that’s why we are going to explain to you step by step the most
flattering and easy trends so that this season you will be
beautiful.

MAKEUP

There are various flattering trends this season. On the one
hand, there is the natural look with earthy and gold tones, and
neutral tones for the eyes and transparent but shinny lips. On
the other hand, there is the sexier look with darker tones for
the eyes from navy blue to purple, and (don’t forget black), and
dark sexy lips.

ADVICE: Choose a look that works for you and one that you feel
most comfortable with and follow the advice that we give you
below.

FOUNDATION

Give a touch of something pearlescent to your foundation and
you’ll achieve a modern and flattering look.

ADVICE: Apply your foundation to the entire face. Once it has
been absorbed in to the skin, wait a few minutes for it to
absorb, apply a small amount of illuminating powder in the T
zone, forehead, cheekbones and chin. Blend it well with a brush
for a pearly but natural effect. The result, light satiny skin.

COVER UP

Brighten your look by using a light cover up which is lighter
than your skin tone over your foundation.

ADVICE: Blend it well around your eyes with your finger tip to
take away any excess. And that’s it, a great look without bags
and full of life.

EYES

For a natural look, use browns and neutral tones.

ADVICE: Apply a golden tone on the upper eyelid to achieve the
look and give it a touch of light. If you want your eyes to have
a stronger look, use a dark brown pencil on the inner eye.

For a sexy look, use darker tones, the ones you like the most,
from navy blue to bottle green. Or if you like, use grays or
blacks.

ADVICE: Don’t forget to put the darker color on your eyelid
putting a blended line next to the eye lashes and put makeup on
the outer eye with a black pencil. Lighten the eyelid just under
the eyebrow with a pearly or shinny white for a sexy arousing
look.

ESSENTIAL: Everyone notices mascara so curl your eyelashes
beforehand and use two cotes to give them volume.

CHEEKBONES

Give your cheekbones a healthy look with soft rosy natural
colors. ADVICE: Blend blush well with a clean brush and loose
powder on your cheekbones.

LIPS

If you want a natural look, or you have put too much lipstick
on, apply lip gloss for a juicy natural look.

ADVICE: Choose a lip gloss that also shines and protects your
lips.

On the other hand, if you want to forget the natural look, try a
passion red or a bright fushia. The result, sexy provocative,
but natural lips.

ADVICE: Use a well-sharpened lip pencil that is very similar to
your lipstick to outline your lips. Do this before applying
lipstick so that the color will last longer and it will be
easier to use darker tones.

THE FINAL TOUCH

Wash your hair with a rinse similar to the natural color of your
hair to make it brighter but without changing the color.

ADVICE: Ask you hairdresser. There are rinses that naturally
moisturize and give shine to the hair.

Male menopause symptoms — the first question a man asks about male menopause is usually about declining sexual function. Can I continue to perform? Will I still enjoy sex? Will sex even matter to me in the future? Somewhere is his 40’s, maybe 50’s, a man may notice that things are not the same as they used to be in the bedroom and he begins to worry. While male menopause symptoms are not just about sex, concerns in this area are real and with reason.

In the United States alone, perhaps as many as 30 million men will at sometime suffer from erectile dysfunction, the most recognized male menopause symptom. And if the other symptoms of menopause are added in, it’s clear that tens of millions of men in their 40’s and older may need treatment.

Here are common male menopause symptoms (also called andropause):

• Declining Sex Drive - not only does the man have less interest in sex, he will also have sex less frequently. From an average of 3-4 times a week in his twenties, sexual frequency declines to about once a week or so in his fifties to 1-2 times a month in his late seventies. One of the related male menopause symptoms is that sex becomes less enjoyable for the man.

• Fatigue and Less Energy - once able to be on the go all day and into the night, now the male’s activity pace slows considerably. The same physical activity now takes longer with considerably more effort.

• Body Composition - if a man is sedentary, he will lose about 10% of his lean body mass every 10 years after age 30. Lean body mass loss means loss of muscle! This muscle loss is generally accompanied by an increase in fat mass and a tendency to become obese. And obesity is related to numerous health and wellness problems.

• Forgetfulness, Inability to Concentrate - although anyone can occasionally forget, there’s a noticeable change in the ability to remember in male menopause. And it becomes more difficult to focus, which ordinarily is one of the strengths of a man.

• Feelings of Anger, Anxiety, Depression, Irritability - events or actions of others that once were dealt with easily by the male now become more difficult to deal when having male menopause symptoms.

• Difficulties with Quality of Sleep - sleep, especially uninterrupted deep sleep, is the time when the body repairs itself and gets ready for another trip through the next day. In male menopause, the man can have difficulty in falling asleep, he may not sleep well, and he can have a restless time during the last part of sleep before awakening. Not getting enough quality sleep over time can have serious health consequences.

• Confusion, Indecision, Lower Self-Confidence - part of being a healthy male is the ability to solve problems, to be efficient, to be competent, to have power and to achieve. A consequence of experiencing male menopause is the erosion of these crucial aspects of being a man.

• Osteoporosis, Increased Risk of Bone Fractures - even though a male begins to lose bone mass considerably later in life than a woman on the average, bone loss will happen and can be considered another of the male menopause symptoms. Women often begin losing bone mass as early as in their thirties, whereas bone loss begins later in life for a man.

Having male menopause symptoms and losing one’s sexuality are related to factors that include hormonal, mental and physiological problems. Declining hormone levels, especially testosterone, will definitely create havoc in a male’s sex life. Other factors that can cause a loss of interest in sex or sexual activity include stress, obesity, alcohol and tobacco abuse, physical inactivity, illness and prescription drugs side effects.

Do men in their 40’s and older just have to accept these kinds of male menopause symptoms as “what do you expect - you’re getting older”? NO WAY! There ARE steps men over 40 can take that can help them stay healthy, full of energy and active — including sexually active — for decades to come.

Copyright 2005 InfoSearch Publishing

Read about improving men’s health and vitality at Male Menopause to learn more. David Buster is a webmaster of http://www.safemenopausesolutions.com and VP of InfoSearch Publishing - visit the website and learn more about physician-recommended natural treatments for a variety of health problems.

The first thing to do about a bladder infection is to visit a doctor immediately. Based upon your symptoms, the doctor will confirm that it is indeed a bladder infection by examining your urine sample. If any infection is found in the urine, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics based on a test called a urine culture, where another sample of your urine is studied to watch the growth of bacteria during a period of 48 hours.

Antibiotics usually take a week to 2 weeks to completely fight the infection, and a full course of the antibiotics must be taken in order to completely eliminate the bacteria from your bladder and ensure that the infection does not reappear. If you observe any adverse reaction from taking the antibiotics, like a rash or a feeling of breathlessness, the medication should be stopped immediately and you should immediately consult your doctor.

It is also very important to drink a lot of water during and after treatment, because each time you urinate, the bladder cleanses itself. Most people find immediate relief from their symptoms by flushing their bladder after drinking a lot of water.

Cranberry juice is also recommended for bladder infections and has been shown to have positive effects on urinary tract infections. You must make sure that you drink 100 % pure cranberry juice rather than those where a lot of sugar is added to sweeten the juice. Pure cranberry juice produces hippuric acid in the urine, which makes the urine acidic and prevents bacteria from sticking to the bladder.

If for some reason you cannot find pure cranberry juice, you can substitute it with cranberry capsules found at most health stores. These should always be taken with lots of water to be completely effective. It is also recommended that Vitamin C be taken to clear the infection.

Sexual intercourse should be avoided until the symptoms have completely gone away, since that can aggravate your infection.

For some of us, EVERY DAY IS HALLOWEEN!!! If you want to be
unusual dress up as a nurse, secretary, grocery clerk or bank
teller this year. Gypsy, vampires and shaman wanna-bes are
everywhere already! Or you could get all Martha Stewart about it
and practice the following festive rites, which find their
origins in the British Isles and Europe for that “authentic”
Halloween experience. The first thing you might want to do is
convince your church pastor to ring the church bell all night to
ward off evil spirits as was the custom in 4th century England.
If you’re feeling particularly ambitious you could also dig up
your dead loved ones and dress them up in long robes as was the
custom in 2nd century Naples. The cadavers would be placed in
niches in stone church walls ready to be visited by their
relatives who of course were not appalled at all to see their
familiar faces. The second thing you want to do is build a big
bonfire built from barrels full of tar and dance around it with
wild abandon. I guess the 21st century equivalent would be to
gather with the other townsfolk around the local “tire fire.” It
was also the custom back then to gather every stick of spare
wood you could find and throw it on the fire, despite the fact
that winter was coming. The key word associated with Halloween
back then was “foolhardy.” In Britain, in the 4th century,
people would also visit the graves of their kinfolk and throw
holy water or milk on the graves to “feed the dead.” This custom
later mutated into the practice of giving children or the poor
money or a baked good called a “soul cake” in exchange for
prayers for the souls of the dearly departed who were often
thought to be stuck in purgatory. The ancient recipe for soul
cakes is not unlike shortbread, so if you want to be authentic,
give the little visitors some shortbread at the door. Watch them
scream and run away, however as you bend over and gently ask
them to pray for the soul of your dead uncle who is burning in
the flames of hell!!! In England in the 16th century, Halloween
was also known as the “Night of Shaming” in which people dressed
up as a mock government or court and allowed powerful figures,
such as the mayor, or the Sherriff and sometimes the local
wife-beater to be humiliated verbally or physically. So its a
good night to perform an intervention, have the boss over to
dinner or practice some kind of S & M that takes the most
arrogant person down a notch. At the end of these rituals it was
customary to throw the offending authoritarian into a body of
water to cleanse them, so Halloween is the perfect night for a
pool party. By the way, the traditional Halloween supper to
serve that night would be either something called “champ”
(mashed potatoes with milk butter and leeks) or “colcannon”
(mashed potatoes with cabbage.) It was also customary to read
the leaves of the cooked cabbage or apple peelings to see if the
first initial of a future husband or wife could be revealed.
Sometimes rings or coins would be hidden in the mashed potatoes,
possibly causing an uncomfortable trip to the barber later to
have a cracked tooth pulled. Fire and torches are also burned on
Halloween to drive the demons and devils out, but if you want to
be truly authentic, put your candle inside a hollow turnip. If
you really want to be fashionable about it, carry this turnip
with you door to door while bumming subway fare. Also recite, as
the poor did back in Cheshire England “My clothes are very
ragged/My shoes are very thin/I’ve got a little pocket/ To put
three pence in/ And I’ll never come a souling/ Until another
year”. Another way to connect with your ancestors would be to
take your turnip lanterns at the hour of midnight and run all
over the hills (the highway meridians) yelling “Spirits and
demons Begone!”. A holiday very much associated with love and
death, Halloween is also an important night to do divinations or
portend omens. Want to dream of your future husband? Try placing
a sprig of rosemary or a sixpence under your pillow that night.
Worried about your health? Crack an egg into a glass of water
.If the shape of shroud forms in the water, start shopping for a
plot in a nice cemetery. (Ed. Note: or ask Samantha how to
change your destiny via an email reading. J) Wondering if that
lover of yours is faithful? Throw a couple of nuts into the
fire. If the two nuts stay together in the flames, he is
faithful. If they fly apart, so will the two of you. Also if you
want to be truly traditional, you can put away the broom and mop
on Halloween. People in Ireland did not throw water or sweep the
floor that night for fear of offending the imps and fairies. In
fact, it is a very good night to lie on the couch and watch
horror movies. If you really want to keep bad spirits away, turn
on the television. Demons and spirits hate it. It is one way to
keep bad energy away. Have fun this Halloween, and don’t do
anything I wouldn’t do!