In Polynesian culture, it is a spiritual quality considered to have supernatural origin, and a sacred impersonal force existing in the universe. Therefore to have mana is to have influence and authority, and the power to perform in a given situation. This essential quality of mana is not limited to people. Government, places and inanimate objects can possess mana.

There are two ways to obtain mana: through birth and through warfare. People or objects that possess mana are accorded respect because their possession of mana gives them authority, power, and prestige. The word’s meaning is complex because mana is a basic foundation of the Polynesian worldview.

Mana is also referred to in the Huna religion as the vital life force which flows through the body. The kahuna believed that there are three different kinds of mana within the body.

Modern fantasy fiction and computer and role-playing games have adopted mana as a term for magic points, an expendable and often rechargable resource out of which magic users form their magical spells.

It is very common in the spring, and prefers cool, damp conditions. It first appears in sunlit areas after heavy rains. The best stands are found in shaded areas under trees, especially in the uplands. As the days get hotter in June, the leaves turn a deep red color as they dry out.

It can be eaten as a leaf vegetable. Most commonly it is eaten raw in salads, but it is not quite as delicate as other lettuces. It is often boiled like spinach, which it resembles in taste and texture.

Rumors mention that California original Americans used to place it by red ant hills to pick up formic acid as a “dressing”. Claytonia perfoliata has none of the peppery kick of Nasturtium Tropaeolum majus, also in the Purslane family, which is how this custom may have originated.

Both leaves and stem have fine hairs tipped with tiny hooks, making them cling to clothes and fur much like velcro. As they grow quite rampantly and thickly, they end up shading out any small plants that they overrun. The seeds are similar in size to cereal grains, and are a common contaminant in cereals since they are difficult to filter out. The presence of some seed in cereals is not considered a serious problem as they are not toxic.

When dried and roasted, the fruits of this plant can be used to make a coffee-like drink. The plant can also be made into a tea. Galium aparine was traditionally used to treat skin diseases. Herbalists use it to lower blood pressure and body temperature.

The whole plant is considered rich in vitamin C. Its roots produce a red dye, and the tea has been used as an anti-perspirant by the Chinese, and as a relief for head colds, restlessness, and sunburns. As a pulp, it has been used to relieve poisonous bites.

Bedstraw was widely used as a stuffing for mattresses during early medieval times from the 5th century through the 10th century. The densely paniculated flowers make for soft bedding.

The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions. The bright white sands found in tropical and subtropical coastal settings are eroded limestone and may contain coral and shell fragments in addition to other organic or organically derived fragmental material. The gypsum sand dunes of the White Sands National Monument in New Mexico are famous for their bright, white color.

Sands rich in magnetite are dark to black in color, as are sands derived from volcanic basalts and obsidian. Chlorite-glauconite bearing sands are typically green in color, as are sands derived from lava with a high olivine content. Many sands, especially those found extensively in Southern Europe, have iron impurities within the quartz crystals of the sand, giving a deep yellow color. Sand deposits in some areas contain garnets and other resistant minerals, including some small gemstones.

The study of individual grains can reveal much historical information as to the origin and kind of transport of the grain. Quartz sand that is recently weathered from granite or gneiss quartz crystals will be angular. It is called sharp sand in the building trade where it is preferred for concrete, and in gardening where it is used as a soil amendment to loosen clay soils. Sand that is transported long distances by water or wind will be rounded, with characteristic abrasion patterns on the grain surface. People who collect sand as a hobby are known as arenophiles or psammophiles.

Holy water is water that has been blessed and set apart for baptism. It is also used as a sacrament. Holy water is kept in the font, the church furnishing used for baptisms, which is typically located at the entrance to the church. Its location at the entrance serves as a reminder of the centrality of baptism as the primary rite of initiation into the Christian faith. As a reminder of baptism, Roman Catholics dip their fingers in the holy water and make the sign of the cross when entering the church. An aspergill or aspergillum is a brush or branch used to sprinkle the water. An aspersorium is the vessel which holds the holy water and into which the aspergillum is dipped. Salt may be added to the water where it is customary.

In Catholicism, holy water, as well as water used during the washing of the priest’s hands at mass, is not allowed to be disposed of in regular plumbing. Roman Catholic churches will usually have a special basin that leads directly into the earth for the purpose of proper disposal. A hinged lid is kept over the holy water basin to distinguish it from a regular sink basin, which is often just beside it. Items that contain holy water are separated, drained of the holy water, and then washed in a regular manner.

In Ancient Greek religion, a holy water called chernips was created when extinguishing in it a torch from a religious shrine. Many Muslims believe that water from the The Well of Zamzam in Mecca is divinely blessed. It is also believed to have supernatural properties. The Sikhs prepare holy water, which is called amrit, and used in a ritual Sikh baptism. Hindus believe that the water from the river Ganges is holy.

Theories of traditional Chinese medicine assert that the body has natural patterns of qi that circulate in channels called meridians. Symptoms of various illnesses are often believed to be the product of disrupted, blocked, or unbalanced qi movement  through the body’s meridians, as well as deficiencies or imbalances of qi in the various organs. Traditional Chinese medicine often seeks to relieve these imbalances by adjusting the circulation of qi in the body using a variety of therapeutic techniques. Some of these techniques include herbal medicines, special diets, physical training regimens, massage to clear blockages, and acupuncture.

It has been hypothesized that the alleged therapeutic effects of acupuncture can be explained by endorphin-release, by relaxation or by simple placebo effects. The NIH Consensus Statement on acupuncture in 1997 noted that concepts such as qi “are difficult to reconcile with contemporary biomedical information but continue to play an important role in the evaluation of patients and the formulation of treatment in acupuncture.”

More recent investigations point to connective tissue mechanotransduction, in other words a domino effect caused by the specific twisting and knotting of the fabric of the body. The connections with electric conductivity were studied in the United States in the late 19th Century, and are currently the subject of more active research.

There are many uses of the term “qi” in acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine, but it’s an imprecise concept of which the best, non-poetic translation is probably “stuff”.

The traditional Chinese art of geomancy, the placement and arrangement of space called feng shui, is based on calculating the balance of qi. The retention or dissipation of qi is believed to affect the health, wealth, energy level, luck and many other aspects of the occupants of the space. Color, shape and the physical location of each item in a space affects the flow of qi by slowing it down, redirecting it or accelerating it, which directly affects the energy level of the occupants. Feng shui is said to be a form of qi divination.

Developed in conjunction with hairdresser Monsieur Leonard, the pouf consisted of a scaffolding made from wire, cloth, gauze, horsehair and fake hair, with the wearer’s own hair teased high off the forehead. On top of this huge confection of hair was a display of feathers, flowers, vegetables or other objects designed to express a topical message. For example, Marie-Antoinette commissioned a huge pouf showcasing an intricate hairdo displaying a French frigate that won a key victory against the British in June 1778.

The pouf was adapted by woman of class based on current events. For example, during the American Revolution poufs included model ships to show support for the Americans and their war against the British. During the French Revolution women took the pouf hairstyle and turned it to their favours to support the revolution. The pouf became popular among many women across Europe and the United Kingdom.

It was not an easy hairstyle to adopt. The underlying contraption was heavy and difficult to sleep in. Marie Antoinette would have had to wrap her head in a huge bandage-like wrap and sleep semi-upright. And since grease was used to glue the hair in place, the pouf was impossible to wash and fostered breeding grounds for vermin. But this did not stop other women from emulating the French Queen of Fashion. One lady of the court declared “I shall never again wear anything but vegetables! It looks so simple, and is so much more natural than flowers!”

Unfortunately, the pouf also corresponded to a time of bad harvests and harsh winters in France. Appearing at the opera, theatre and parties in her wedding cake-like coiffure, Marie Antoinette flouted her lifestyle in the face of a starving nation. It was particularly horrifying to hungry peasants that the whiteness of the pouf coiffure came from flour. Popular opinion turned from admiration to distaste and Marie Antoinette’s willingness to consider more serious matters was questioned.