the gypsies' journey...

we all are gypsies of a sort wandering traveling through this life other lives space and time here there and yon on roads less traveled - following the path of the sun and the trail of the stars to worlds known and unknown from yesterday and today into tomorrow -

this is a written and visual journal of my own travels - imagined and/or real -
imagined and/or real - a STREAMOFCONSCIOUSNESS telling of my own personal thoughts feelings experiences - interspersed with words and images of others - with things defined by most as PARAnormal which - for me - all my life - have been PERFECTLYnormal -

SO come along with me and we'll dance among the stars under the sun and over the moon - we'll share our stories around the campfire - together -

THE GYPSYWOMANWORLD

My photo
A...WOMAN IN MOTION WITH HAIR AS DARK AS NIGHT HER EYES WERE LIKE THAT OF A CAT IN THE DARK... SHE WAS A GYPSYWOMAN... she danced round and round... from the fire her face was all aglow... she was dancing... dancing... waiting for the RISING SUN... loving caring relationships are like THE RISING SUN...we are nourished by their warmth...we are energized by their strength...we grow in their light...we find shelter and solace there...they are our sanctuary... born in the sign of the sun, i am a true LEO-love the sun and its hot orange red fire-passionate in and about everything i do-i believe in instant chemistry charisma love/lust at first sight-in the magic of the eyes and the beauty of the soul-in the instant recognition familiarity in meeting someone from a past life and in the knowledge that we might meet in a future life-i believe that we are each ageless and flawless-i believe in the beauty of the moment-the whisper of yesterday-the hope of tomorrow-the power of forgiveness for even ourselves-the absolute and total beauty of love---[credit to brian hyland and curtis mayfield]

Thursday, September 10, 2009

the doctor is in...the stars...

A Zodiac illustration from a medical almanac, 1399.
The man’s pointing finger serves as a warning
against the powerful forces of the stars.

Ideas of astrology in medieval Europe were a long way from today's star sign horoscopes. Although some medieval astrologers were thought to be magicians, many were highly respected scholars. Astrologers believed that the movements of the stars influenced numerous things on earth, from the weather and the growth of crops to the personalities of new born babies and the inner workings of the human body.

Doctors often carried around special almanacs (or calendars) containing star charts, allowing them to check the positions of the stars before making a diagnosis. Many of these almanacs included pictures which helped to explain complicated ideas to patients. The picture above shows a 'zodiac man' from one of these almanacs.

Ancient studies of astrology were translated from Arabic to Latin in the 12th and 13th centuries and soon became a part of everyday medical practice in Europe. Doctors combined Galenic medicine (inherited from the Greek physiologist Galen - AD 129-216) with careful studies of the stars. By the end of the 1500s, physicians across Europe were required by law to calculate the position of the moon before carrying out complicated medical procedures, such as surgery or bleeding.

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