Heraclitus of Ephesus was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher, a native of Ephesus on the coast of Asia Minor. He is known for his doctrine of change being central to the universe, and that the Logos is the fundamental order of all.

His great achievements were to have understood the nature of the infinite, which includes understanding the inherent contradictoriness and negativity of reality, and to have grasped that reality is constantly becoming or in process, and that being and nothingness are empty abstractions. Heraclitus’s obscurity comes from his being a true philosopher who grasped the ultimate philosophical truth and therefore expressed himself in a way that goes beyond the abstract and limited nature of common sense and is difficult to grasp by those who operate within common sense. 

Heraclitus considered that the being of all the universe is fire. According to him, the being is material and one, but at the same time he acknowledged that the world witnesses constant change. 

Motion of the archelement fire is discordant and unharmonious, even though harmony is the final result of the process. This change, the transformation of material from one state into another, does not happen by accident, but rather according to law within certain limits and within certain time. This law is named Logos by Heraclitus.

In addition to seeing fire as the most fundamental of the four elements and the one that is quantified and determines the state of the other three, Heraclitus presents fire as the cosmos, which was not made by any of the gods or men, but was and is ever living fire. This is the closest he comes to a substance, but it is an active one altering other things quantitatively and performing an activity he describes as the judging and convicting of all things. It is the thunderbolt that steers the course of all things.

Popcorn was first discovered thousands of years ago by the Native Americans, who believed that the popping noise was that of an angry god who escaped the kernel. 

Each kernel of popcorn contains a certain amount of moisture and oil. Corn is able to pop because, unlike other grains, the outer hull of the kernel is both strong and impervious to moisture, and the starch inside consists almost entirely of a dense starchy filling. This allows pressure to build inside the kernel until an explosive pop results.

As the oil and the water are heated past the boiling point, they turn the moisture in the kernel into a superheated pressurized steam, contained within the moisture proof hull. Under these conditions, the starch inside the kernel gelatinizes, softening and becoming pliable. The pressure continues to increase until the breaking point of the hull is reached, a pressure of about 135 psi and a temperature of 356 °F. The hull ruptures rapidly, causing a sudden drop in pressure inside the kernel and a corresponding rapid expansion of the steam, which expands the starch and proteins of the endosperm into airy foam. As the foam rapidly cools, the starch and protein polymers set into the familiar crispy puff.

During the Great Depression, popcorn was comparatively cheap at 5 to 10 cents a bag and became popular. Thus, while other businesses failed, the popcorn business thrived and became a major source of income for some struggling farmers. During World War II, sugar rations diminished candy production causing Americans to eat three times more popcorn than they had before.

At least six localities, all in the United States, claim to be the Popcorn Capital of the World: Valparaiso, Indiana; Van Buren, Indiana; Marion, Ohio; Ridgway, Illinois; Schaller, Iowa; and North Loup, Nebraska. According to the USDA, most of the maize used for popcorn production is specifically planted for this purpose. Most is grown in Nebraska and Indiana, with increasing area in Texas. As the result of an elementary school project, popcorn became the official state snack food of Illinois. 

Popcorn, threaded onto a string, is used as a wall or Christmas tree decoration in some parts of North America, as well as on the Balkan peninsula. The world’s largest popcorn ball was unveiled in October 2006 in Lake Forest, Illinois. It weighed 3,415 pounds, measured 8 feet in diameter, and had a circumference of 24.6 feet.

A fox is a carnivorous mammal characterized by a long, narrow snout, and a bushy tail. The most common and widespread species of fox is the red fox, although various species are found on nearly every continent. The presence of fox like carnivores all over the globe has led to their appearance in the popular culture and folklore of many nations, tribes, and other cultural groups.

Typically, foxes are solitary, opportunistic feeders that hunt live prey, especially rodents. Using a pouncing technique practised from an early age, they are usually able to kill their prey quickly. Foxes also gather a wide variety of other foods ranging from grasshoppers to fruit and berries.

In many cultures, the fox appears in folklore as a symbol of cunning and trickery, or as an animal possessed of magic powers. In early Mesopotamian mythology, the fox is one of the sacred animals of the goddess Ninhursag. The fox acts as her messenger.

The Moche people of Peru believed the fox to be a warrior that would use his mind to fight. The fox would never use physical attack, only mental. It would often be depicted in their art.

In Chinese mythology, huli jing are powerful spirits that are known for their deception and cunning. They often take on the form of female humans to seduce men. In contemporary Chinese, the word is often used to describe a mistress negatively in an extramarital affair.

In Japanese folklore, the fox like kitsune is a powerful animal spirit known for its highly mischievous and cunning nature. In Shinto of Japan, kitsune sometimes helps people as an errand of the deity Inari.

There is a Tswana riddle that says that “Phokoje go tsela o dithetsenya” translated literally into “Only the muddy fox lives,” meaning that only an active person who does not mind getting muddy gets to progress in life in philosophic sense.

The fox theme is often associated with transformation in European literature. There are stories about anthropomorphic animals imbued with human characteristics and tales of fox transformations into humans and vice versa.

The word shenanigans, a deceitful confidence trick or mischief, is considered to be derived from the Irish expression sionnachuighim, meaning “I play the fox.”

Prayer flags are colorful panels or rectangular cloths often found strung along mountain ridges and peaks high in the Himalayas to bless the surrounding countryside or for other purposes. Unknown in other branches of Buddhism, prayer flags are believed to have originated with Bön, which predated Buddhism in Tibet. Traditionally they are woodblock printed with texts and images.

The Indian Buddhist Sutras, discourses attributed to the Buddha, written on cloth in India, were traditionally distributed to other regions of the world. These sutras, written on banners, were the origin of prayer flags. Legend ascribes the origin of the prayer flag to the Shakyamuni Buddha, whose prayers were written on battle flags used by the devas against their adversaries, the asuras. The legend may have given the Indian bhikku a reason for carrying the heavenly banner as a way of signifying his commitment to ahimsa. This knowledge was carried into Tibet by 800 CE, and the actual flags were introduced no later than 1040 CE, where they were further modified.

Traditionally, prayer flags come in sets of five, one in each of five colors. The five colors represent the elements, and the Five Pure Lights and are arranged from left to right in a specific order. Different elements are associated with different colors for specific traditions, purposes and sadhana:

• Blue (symbolizing sky/space)
• White (symbolizing air/wind)
• Red (symbolizing fire)
• Green (symbolizing water)
• Yellow (symbolizing earth)

The center of a prayer flag traditionally features a powerful or strong horse bearing three flaming jewels on its back. The Ta is a symbol of speed and the transformation of bad fortune to good fortune. The three flaming jewels symbolize the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, the three cornerstones of Tibetan philosophical tradition.

Surrounding the Ta are various versions of approximately 20 traditional mantras, each dedicated to a particular deity. In Tibetan, deities are not so much gods as aspects of the divine which are manifest in each part of the whole universe, including individual humans. These writings include mantras from three of the great Buddhist Bodhisattvas. In addition to mantras, prayers for the long life and good fortune of the person who mounts the flags are often included.

Traditionally, prayer flags are used to promote peace, compassion, strength, and wisdom. The flags do not carry prayers to gods, a common misconception, rather the Tibetans believe the prayers and mantras will be blown by the wind to spread the good will and compassion into all pervading space. Therefore, prayer flags are thought to bring benefit to all.

By hanging flags in high places the Wind Horse will carry the blessings depicted on the flags to all beings. As wind passes over the surface of the flags which are sensitive to the slightest movement of the wind, the air is purified and sanctified by the Mantras.

The prayers of a flag become a permanent part of the universe as the images fade from exposure to the elements. Just as life moves on and is replaced by new life, Tibetans renew their hopes for the world by continually mounting new flags alongside the old. This act symbolizes a welcoming of life changes and an acknowledgment that all beings are part of a greater ongoing cycle.

Some believe that if the flags are hung on inauspicious astrological dates, they may bring negative results for as long as they are flying. The best times to put up new prayer flags are in the mornings on sunny, windy days.

Sets of five coloured flags should be put in the order: blue, white, red, green, yellow from left to right. The colours represent the Five Buddha Families and the five elements. The origin of Prayer flag colors may be traced to an ancient tradition of Tibet where shamans used primary colored plain flags in healing ceremonies. According to Traditional Tibetan medicine, health and harmony are produced through the balance of the five elements. Old prayer flags are replaced with new ones annually on the Tibetan New Year.

Because the symbols and mantras on prayer flags are sacred, they should be treated with respect. They should not be placed on the ground or used in clothing. Old prayer flags should be burned.

During the Cultural Revolution, prayer flags were discouraged but not entirely eliminated. Many traditional designs may have been lost. Currently, different styles of prayer flags can be seen all across the Tibetan region. Most of the traditional prayer flags today are made in Nepal and India by Tibetan refugees or by Nepali Buddhists. The flags are also manufactured in Bhutan for local use.

Neodruidism is a form of modern spirituality or religion that promotes harmony and worship of nature, along with respect for all beings and the environment. It is considered to be a Neopagan faith by some adherents, along with such religions as Wicca and Neopaganism. By other modern druids it is considered to be a philosophical movement that includes religious tolerance, allowing its followers to be adherents of other religions, or even atheism.

The dominant belief in Druidism is the idea that the earth and nature is sacred and is worthy of worship in itself. For this reason some modern Druids are pantheistic, seeing the natural world as being divine itself. It is unknown if pantheism and direct nature worship were a part of ancient Celtic polytheism. There is no clear historical or archaeological evidence one way or the other.

Some modern druids practice meditation and visualization as a method of self transformation, particularly engaging the imagery of the four elements of the classical philosophers and the medieval alchemists. Earth, air, fire, and water are considered symbolic of aspects of nature and are sometimes linked symbolically to the four cardinal directions, the four seasons, and the four stages of human life: birth, maturation, old age, and death. Elemental symbolism is fluid and varies from group to group. Some modern druids believe that the ancient Celts did not adopt the Greek system of four elements and prefer to use only a symbolic division of the cosmos into three realms: Sea (the lower realm), Land (the middle realm), and Sky (the upper realm).

The Neopagan branch of Druidism in the United States can be traced to one particular root in the Reformed Druids of North America, which was founded by protesting college students. The history of this organization is interesting and one of the best documented histories of any druidic organization.

The founding of the first congregation of the Reformed Druids of North America in 1963 proved influential in giving birth to other Neopagan organizations. Carleton College’s requirement that each student participate regularly in religious services caused a minor rebellion of several students who started calling themselves druids. This religion was designed mainly to annoy and challenge the college administration and its attempt to enforce particular religious sects. 

This tiny movement came to be called The Reformed Druids of North America (RDNA), a pun on the genetic molecule. Despite its jocular culture, Celtic mythology, spiritual eclecticism, more general countercultural agitation, and easygoing self irony were also important themes by the time the religious requirement was rescinded in 1964. The loss of the specific protest motivation did not weaken the RDNA, which still exists today.

It was later developed into actual religious practices. These retained much of the humor with which the Carleton druids were founded but became increasingly seen as a legitimate spiritual pursuit by its founders, one which permitted the students of a largely Episcopalian college to explore their own consciences.

The Ancient Order of Druids in America, established in 1912, considers Druidry as a path of nature spirituality and inner transformation founded on personal experience rather than dogmatic belief. It is a church in the original sense of the word, a community of people following a spiritual path together. It welcomes men and women of all national origins, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and affiliations with other Druidic and spiritual traditions. Ecological awareness and commitment to an earth-honoring lifestyle, celebration of the cycles of nature through seasonal ritual, and personal development through meditation and other spiritual exercises form the core of its work. Involvement in the arts, healing practices, and traditional esoteric studies are among its applications and expressions.

John Michael Greer currently serves as the Grand Archdruid of the Ancient Order of Druids in America, a position he has held since 2002. He is an author, historian of ideas, Hermeticist and Druid who resides in Ashland, Oregon.

His first book, Paths of Wisdom, a study of the Golden Dawn system of Qabalah, was published in 1996, and has been followed by many other books on magical and esoteric traditions and their histories, including an encyclopedic work on secret societies, The Element Encyclopedia of Secret Societies and Hidden History. Forthcoming titles will cover an exploration of UFO phenomenologies and histories, and esoteric Western Physical Culture. He has practiced gardening, Tai Chi and related internal arts for decades.

Greer has shown an interest in oil and other resource depletion, which he believes will bring about fundamental, global changes in societies for centuries to come.

Vitis is a genus of about 60 species of vining plants in the flowering plant family Vitaceae. The genus is made up of species predominantly from the earth’s northern hemisphere. It is economically important as the source of grapes, both for direct consumption of the fruit and for fermentation to produce wine. The study and cultivation of grapevines is called viticulture.

Most Vitis species are found in the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The wine grape Vitis vinifera originated in southern Europe and southwestern Asia. The species occur in widely different geographical areas and show a great diversity of form. However they are sufficiently closely related to allow easy interbreeding and the resultant interspecific hybrids are invariably fertile and vigorous. Thus the concept of a species is less well defined and more likely represents the identification of different ecotypes of Vitis that have evolved in distinct geographical and environmental circumstances.

Use of grapes is known to date back to Neolithic times, following the discovery of 7,000 year old storage jars in present day northern Iran. Further evidence shows the Mesopotamians and Ancient Egyptians had vine plantations. Greek philosophers praised the healing powers of grapes both whole and in the form of wine. Vitis vinifera cultivation in China began during the Han Dynasty in the second century. However, wild vine mountain grapes  were being used for wine making before that time.

The oldest known evidence of wine production in Europe is dated to 4500 BC and comes from archaeological sites in Greece. The same sites also contain the world’s earliest evidence of crushed grapes. In ancient Egypt, wine became a part of recorded history, playing an important role in ceremonial life.

In medieval Europe, the Roman Catholic Church was a staunch supporter of wine since it was necessary for the celebration of Mass. In places such as Germany, beer was banned and considered pagan and barbaric, while wine consumption was viewed as civilized and a sign of conversion to Christianity. Monks in France made wine for years, storing it underground in caves to age.

In the Islamic world, wine was forbidden during the Islamic Golden Age. After Geber and other Muslim chemists pioneered the distillation of wine, however, it was legalized for cosmetic and medical uses. The 10th century Persian philosopher and scientist Al Biruni described recipes where herbs, minerals and even gemstones are mixed with wine for medicinal purposes. Wine became so revered and its effect so feared that elaborate theories were developed about which gemstones would best counteract its negative side effects.

Using the sap of grapevines, European folk healers sought to cure skin and eye diseases. Other historical uses include the leaves being used to stop bleeding, pain and inflammation of hemorrhoids. Unripe grapes were used for treating sore throats, and raisins were given as treatments for tuberculosis, constipation and thirst. Ripe grapes were used for the treatment of cancer, cholera, smallpox, nausea, skin and eye infections as well as kidney and liver diseases.

Seedless grape varieties were developed to appeal to consumers, but researchers are now discovering that many of the healthful properties of grapes may actually come from the seeds themselves, thanks to their enriched phytochemical content. Grapevine leaves are filled with minced meat such as lamb or beef, rice and onions in the making of Balkan traditional Dolma.

Grape skins contain carbohydrates that can be broken down into sugar and fermented. Enough ethyl alcohol can be distilled from the skins to create a source of biofuel. 100 tons of grape skins can produce nearly 793 gallons of ethyl alcohol.

47,140 square miles of the world is dedicated to grapes. Approximately 71% of world grape production is used for wine, 27% as fresh fruit, and 2% as dried fruit. A portion of grape production goes to producing grape juice to be used as a sweetener for fruits canned with no added sugar. Areas dedicated to vineyards are increasing by about 2% per year.

We gain our knowledge of the outside world through his senses. Many of us are in the habit of thinking of these senses as if they did the sensing instead of being merely carriers of the vibrations coming from the outside world, which are then presented to the mind for examination. It is important to understand that it is the mind that perceives, not the senses. And consequently, an investigation of perception is really a development of the mind.

In order for one to gain knowledge, it is necessary to use to the best advantage the mental instruments and tools that we finds at our disposal. One must develop and improve such tools. Not only does one gain a great benefit from a development of perception, but one also acquires an additional benefit from the training of the whole mind arising from mental discipline.

Certain aspects of the perception may be trained. Through the senses we receive all information regarding the outside world. If we keep these doors half open or crowded with obstacles and rubbish, we may expect to receive but few messages from outside. But if we keep the doorways clear and clean, we will obtain the best that is passing our way.

One may argue that the highest ideas do not come to us through the senses, but the things obtained through the senses are the raw material upon which the mind works. From this we are able to create the beautiful things that we are able to produce in its highest forms. Just as is the body dependent for growth upon the nourishment taken into it so the mind is dependent for growth upon the impressions received from the universe, and these impressions come largely through the senses.

We see and know but very little of what is going on around us. Our limitations are great. Our powers of vision report only a few vibrations of the full frequency of light, and below and above the visual scope lie an infinity of vibrations unknown to us. The same is true of the powers of hearing, for only a comparatively small portion of the sound waves reach our ears. Some animals hear much more than we do.

If we had only one sense we would obtain but a one dea of the outside world. If another sense is added our knowledge is doubled. The best proof of the relation between increased sense perception and development is in the study of the evolution of animal forms. In the early stages of life organisms had only the sense of feeling and a faint sense of taste. Then developed smell, hearing and sight, each marking a distinct advance in the scale of life. So, as we develop new senses in the future we will be much wiser and greater beings. 

Everyone realizes that one may change their character by habit and training, and most people have modified their characteristics in some way by similar methods. Most people have become aware that character can be modified, changed, and sometimes completely altered by means of an intelligent use of the subconscious mind.

The word character is derived from ancient terms meaning to mark or engrave. It is thought that the term originally arose from the word used by Babylonian brickmakers to designate the trade mark impressed by them upon their bricks, each maker having his own mark. This is interesting, in view of the theories regarding the cultivation of character. Many instructors have taught that character is modified and shaped by outside influences by deliberate self training and shaping.

Character building is based upon the knowledge of the wonderful powers of the subconscious mind. We are not required to pursue strenuous methods of repression or cultivation, since those methods are opposed to human nature. The best way is to imitate nature and gradually unfold the desired characteristics by focusing attention upon them. The weeding out of undesirable character is accomplished by cultivating the character directly opposed to the undesirable ones.

For instance, if we wish to overcome fear we should not concentrate on fear with the idea of killing it out, but instead mentally deny that there is fear and then concentrate attention upon the ideal of courage. When courage is developed, fear is found to have faded away. The positive always overpowers the negative.

Ideals may be built by the attention given to them. Take the example of a rose bush. The plant will grow and flourish in the measure that care and attention is given to it. The ideal of a desired characteristic is like a rose bush which will grow and put forth leaves and flowers when love and caring is given to it. We may repeat affirmations for the purpose of giving us a mental center around which to build an ideal. There is a power in words used in this way, providing that the user always thinks of the meaning of the words and makes a mental picture of the quality expressed by them instead of merely repeating them.

Everyone possesses and actively uses this power, although we may not be aware of it. Our character is largely the result of the quality of thoughts held in the mind and of the mental pictures or ideals demonstrated by us. The person who constantly sees and thinks of being unsuccessful is very apt to grow ideals of these things until their whole nature is dominated by them. On the other hand, the person who makes an ideal of success and accomplishment finds that their whole mental nature seems to work toward that result.

The average person recognizes his strong and weak points of character, but is inclined to regard them as fixed and unalterable. We think that we are “just as the Lord made us” and that is the end of it. We fail to recognize that character is being unconsciously modified every day by association with others, whose suggestions are being absorbed and acted upon. We fail to see that we are creating our own character by taking interest in certain things and allowing our minds to dwell upon them.

We do not realize that we are really the makers of ourselves from the raw and crude material given to us at birth. We make ourselves negatively or positively. Negatively if we allow ourselves to be molded by the thoughts and ideals of others, and positively if we mold ourselves. Everyone is doing one or the other, perhaps both. The weak person is the one who allows their self to be made by others and the strong person is the one who takes the building process in their own hands.

Many people consider that character is a fixed attribute belonging to a person that cannot be altered or changed. And yet we show by our everyday actions that at heart we do not believe this to be a fact since we endeavor to change and mould the character of those around us by word of advice, counsel, praise or condemnation.

Unless we desire to change our character we will not make any move toward it. And in proportion to the strength of the desire, so will be the amount of effort that is put into the task. The first thing for us to do in character building is to want to do it. And if we find that the want is not sufficiently strong to enable us to manifest the effort necessary to bring it to a successful conclusion then we should deliberately proceed to build up the desire.

The process of character building is so delightfully simple that its importance is sometimes overlooked by the majority of persons who are made familiar with it. It is only by actual practice and the experiencing of results that its wonderful possibilities are recognized. The mind is plastic to those who know the secret of its manipulation.