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La tipica Macchia mediterranea sul promontorio Minerva e Punta Campanella, Italia, composta da: Erica arborea, Euforbia arborea (Euphorbia dendroides), Lentisco
(Pistacia lentiscus), Cisto villoso (Cistus incanus), Mirto (Myrtus communis), Rosmarino (Rosmarinus officinalis), Olivastro (Olea europaea var. sylvestris), Caprifoglio mediterraneo (Lonicera implexa),
Ginestra odorosa (Spartium junceum e Cytisus scoparius) ecc.. L'insieme dei profumi, specialmente in primavera, di queste piante selvatiche è inebriante e, invita a sognare tempi lontani. I cambiamenti climatici si sono accellerati ultimamente e stanno distruggendo tutta questa meraviglia della natura.
Grazie a tutti per la visione, per il commento, per la preferenza.
Das typische mediterrane Gestrüpp auf dem Vorgebirge von Minerva und Punta Campanella, Italien, bestehend aus: Erica arborea, Euforbia arborea (Euphorbia dendroides), Lentisco
(Pistacia lentiscus), Haarige Steinrose (Cistus incanus), Myrte (Myrtus communis), Rosmarin (Rosmarinus officinalis), Olivastro (Olea europaea var. Sylvestris), Mediterranes Geißblatt (Lonicera implexa),
Duftender Besen (Spartium junceum und Cytisus scoparius) etc .. Die Duftnoten dieser wilden Pflanzen sind besonders im Frühling berauschend und laden zum Träumen von fernen Zeiten ein. Der Klimawandel hat sich in letzter Zeit beschleunigt und zerstört all dieses Wunder der Natur.
Vielen Dank an alle fürs Zuschauen, für den Kommentar, für die Vorliebe.
The typical Mediterranean scrub on the Minerva and Punta Campanella promontory, Italy, composed of: Erica arborea, Euforbia arborea (Euphorbia dendroides), Lentisco
(Pistacia lentiscus), Hairy rock rose (Cistus incanus), Myrtle (Myrtus communis), Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), Olivastro (Olea europaea var. Sylvestris), Mediterranean honeysuckle (Lonicera implexa),
Scented broom (Spartium junceum and Cytisus scoparius) etc .. The set of scents, especially in spring, of these wild plants is intoxicant and invites to dream of distant times. Climate change has accelerated lately and is destroying all this wonder of nature.
Thanks to everyone for watching, for the comment, for the preference.
El típico matorral mediterráneo en el promontorio de Minerva y Punta Campanella, Italia, compuesto por: Erica arborea, Euforbia arborea (Euphorbia dendroides), Lentisco
(Pistacia lentiscus), rosa de roca peluda (Cistus incanus), mirto (Myrtus communis), romero (Rosmarinus officinalis), olivastro (Olea europaea var. Sylvestris), madreselva mediterránea (Lonicera implexa),
Escoba perfumada (Spartium junceum y Cytisus scoparius) etc. El conjunto de aromas, especialmente en primavera, de estas plantas silvestres es intoxicante e invita a soñar con tiempos lejanos. El cambio climático se ha acelerado últimamente y está destruyendo toda esta maravilla de la naturaleza.
Gracias a todos por mirar, por el comentario, por la preferencia.
Le maquis méditerranéen typique du promontoire de Minerve et de Punta Campanella, en Italie, composé de: Erica arborea, Euforbia arborea (Euphorbia dendroides), Lentisco
(Pistacia lentiscus), Rosier velu (Cistus incanus), Myrte (Myrtus communis), Romarin (Rosmarinus officinalis), Olivastro (Olea europaea var. Sylvestris), Chèvrefeuille méditerranéen (Lonicera implexa),
Balai parfumé (Spartium junceum et Cytisus scoparius) etc. L'ensemble des senteurs, surtout au printemps, de ces plantes sauvages est enivrante et invite à rêver des temps lointains. Le changement climatique s'est accéléré récemment et détruit toutes ces merveilles de la nature.
Merci à tous d'avoir regardé, pour le commentaire, pour la préférence.
© Angela M. Lobefaro
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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Since 1876, Casa Contratto has had its home in the heart of Canelli. Its buildings are in elegant Liberty Style, the architectural period between the late 1800s and the early 1900s, when the name Contratto first became famous throughout the world.
Casa Contratto was the first Italian producer to specify the date on the label for Metodo Classico, with its Extra Dry-Brut Riserva Speciale 1917.
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© Angela M. Lobefaro
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Since 1876, Casa Contratto has had its home in the heart of Canelli. Its buildings are in elegant Liberty Style, the architectural period between the late 1800s and the early 1900s, when the name Contratto first became famous throughout the world.
Casa Contratto was the first Italian producer to specify the date on the label for Metodo Classico, with its Extra Dry-Brut Riserva Speciale 1917.
..
Birds are returning home. The Toddy-Tapper who draws Palm tree sap at a height of about 50 feet is climbing down the tree. He sells the sap which is an intoxicant to the poor workers who cannot afford to by liquor.
1947-49 vintage. Stenciled warnings on the door state "No intoxicants on truck" and "no riders under 18 yrs". Guess that means intoxicants are permitted INSIDE the vehicle and DRIVERS can be of any age.
books
academia
struggle
chemical euphoria
Millions
are
barely
holding on
Cooper square
where ABE LINCOLN
spoke in 1860 on a wintry day
in Manhattan
Photography’s new conscience
Manoj is among the bunch that Anwar hangs out with. He is addicted to films and dendrite (an adhesive used as an intoxicant). He is about 14 and he begs for a living. Cannot work much as his right hand is incapacitated. At birth.
location: North America, Europe
edibility: Deadly
fungus colour: Red or redish or pink
normal size: 5-15cm
cap type: Convex to shield shaped
stem type: Ring on stem, Volva on stem
spore colour: White, cream or yellowish
habitat: Grows in woods, Grows on the ground
Amanita muscaria (L. ex Fr.) Hooker Fly Agaric, Amanite tue-mouches, Fausse Oronge Roter Fliegenpilz Cap 8–20cm across, globose or hemispherical at first then flattening, bright scarlet covered with distinctive white pyramidal warts which may be washed off by rain leaving the cap almost smooth and the colour fades. Stem 80–180×10–20mm, white, often covered in shaggy volval remnants as is the bulbous base, the white membranous ring attached to the stem apex sometimes becoming flushed yellow from the pigment washed off the cap. Flesh white, tinged red or yellow below the cap cuticle, Taste pleasant, smell faint. Gills free, white. Spore print white. Spores broadly ovate, nonamyloid, 9.5–10.5×7–8µ. Habitat usually with birch trees, Season late summer to late autumn. Common. Deadly poisonous. It contains many different toxins see below. Distribution, America and Europe.
This is one of the easiest species to recognize and describe, and consequently its properties have been well documented for centuries. The common name Fly Agaric comes from the practice of breaking the cap into platefuls of milk, used since medieval times to stupefy flies. It is a strong hallucinogen and intoxicant and was used as such by the Lapps. In such cases the cap is dried and swallowed without chewing. The symptoms begin twenty minutes to two hours after ingestion. The central nervous system is affected and the muscles of the intoxicated person start to pull and twitch convulsively, followed by dizzines and a death-like sleep. During this stage the mushrooms are often vomited but nevertheless the drunkenness and stupor continue. While in this state of stupor, the person experiences vivid visions and on waking is usually filled with elation and is physically very active. This is due to the nerves being highly stimulated, the slightest effort of will producing exaggerated physical effects, e.g. the intoxicated person will make a gigantic leap to clear the smallest obstacle. The Lapps may have picked up the habit of eating the Fly Agaric through observing the effects of the fungus on reindeer, which are similarly affected. Indeed, they like it so much that all one has to do to round up a wandering herd is to scatter pieces of Fly Agaric on the ground. Another observation the Lapps made from the reindeer was that the intoxicating compounds in the fungus can be recycled by consuming the urine of an intoxicated person. The effects of consuming this species are exceedingly unpredictable; some people remain unaffected while others have similar, or different, symptoms to those above, and at least one death is attributed to A. muscaria. This unpredictability is due to the fungus containing different amounts of the toxins ibotenic acid and muscimol according to season, method of cooking and ingestion, as well as the subject’s state of mind. Ibotenic acid is mostly concentrated in the coloured skin of the cap. This very unstable compound rapidly degrades on drying to form muscimol which is five to ten times more potent. Traditionally, where A. muscaria is used as an inebriant, it is the dried cap which is taken.
info by Roger Phillips:
Those fungi, the icelandic name would translate into berserk fungi, are classified "as poisonous, reports of human deaths resulting from A. muscaria ingestion are extremely rare. After parboiling twice with water draining—which weakens its toxicity and breaks down the mushroom's psychoactive substances—it is eaten in parts of Europe, Asia, and North America. All Amanita muscaria varieties, but in particular A. muscaria var. muscaria, are noted for their hallucinogenic properties, with the main psychoactive constituents being the neurotoxins ibotenic acid and muscimol. A local variety of the mushroom was used as an intoxicant and entheogen by the indigenous peoples of Siberia and by the Sámi, and has a religious significance in these cultures. There has been much speculation on possible traditional use of this mushroom as an intoxicant in other places such as the Middle East, Eurasia, North America, and Scandinavia." (wikipedia, on 16.08.2020).
While driving along a country lane about an hour from Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan, we drove through a town where not only the streets were lined with marijuana plants but there seemed to be fields full of them..
A study published in The Lancet 24 March 2007 found that cannabis is both less harmful and less addictive than either alcohol or tobacco. And a study by the Journal of School Health showed that tobacco smoking is a better predictor of concurrent illicit drug use than smoking cannabis.
Muslims believe that Prophet Muhammad prohibited every intoxicant and muftir (any substance which affects the mind). Thus marijuana is amongst those things which are prohibited by Islam.
The photo is presented as a negative to illustrate the negative effect of the marijuana, no pun intended :)
Hello my friends todays painting is of something I think we are are guilty of one time or another be it a great meal we didn't want to end or a dessert that made us sing out a tune,and just stuffed ourselfs silly, but when we eat like that more often than not we can be said we are committing Gluttony,and its derived from the Latin gluttire meaning to gulp down or swallow, means over-indulgence and over-consumption of food, drink, or intoxicants to the point of waste. In some Christian denominations, it is considered one of the seven deadly sins,on a interesting note Gluttony is not universally considered a sin; depending on the culture, it can be seen as either a vice or a sign of status.St. Thomas Aquinas reiterated the list of six ways to commit gluttony:
Praepropere - eating too soon.
Laute - eating too expensively
Nimis - eating too much.
Ardenter - eating too eagerly
Studiose - eating too daintily
Forente - eating wildly, well my friends there you have it,now I feel bad about that strawberry ice cream I'm looking forward to eating tonight,take care and carry a small fork and spoon, steve.18x24in.
Although generally considered poisonous, deaths are extremely rare, and it has been consumed as a food in parts of Europe, Asia, and North America after parboiling in water. Amanita muscaria is now primarily famed for its hallucinogenic properties, with its main psychoactive constituent being the compound muscimol. It was used as an intoxicant and entheogen by the peoples of Siberia and has a religious significance in these cultures. Found in the pine forest at Hanmer Springs. I for one was not game to try one. A very beautiful looking Mushroom.
location: North America, Europe
edibility: Deadly
fungus colour: Red or redish or pink
normal size: 5-15cm
cap type: Convex to shield shaped
stem type: Ring on stem, Volva on stem
spore colour: White, cream or yellowish
habitat: Grows in woods, Grows on the ground
Amanita muscaria (L. ex Fr.) Hooker Fly Agaric, Amanite tue-mouches, Fausse Oronge Roter Fliegenpilz Cap 8–20cm across, globose or hemispherical at first then flattening, bright scarlet covered with distinctive white pyramidal warts which may be washed off by rain leaving the cap almost smooth and the colour fades. Stem 80–180×10–20mm, white, often covered in shaggy volval remnants as is the bulbous base, the white membranous ring attached to the stem apex sometimes becoming flushed yellow from the pigment washed off the cap. Flesh white, tinged red or yellow below the cap cuticle, Taste pleasant, smell faint. Gills free, white. Spore print white. Spores broadly ovate, nonamyloid, 9.5–10.5×7–8µ. Habitat usually with birch trees, Season late summer to late autumn. Common. Deadly poisonous. It contains many different toxins see below. Distribution, America and Europe.
This is one of the easiest species to recognize and describe, and consequently its properties have been well documented for centuries. The common name Fly Agaric comes from the practice of breaking the cap into platefuls of milk, used since medieval times to stupefy flies. It is a strong hallucinogen and intoxicant and was used as such by the Lapps. In such cases the cap is dried and swallowed without chewing. The symptoms begin twenty minutes to two hours after ingestion. The central nervous system is affected and the muscles of the intoxicated person start to pull and twitch convulsively, followed by dizzines and a death-like sleep. During this stage the mushrooms are often vomited but nevertheless the drunkenness and stupor continue. While in this state of stupor, the person experiences vivid visions and on waking is usually filled with elation and is physically very active. This is due to the nerves being highly stimulated, the slightest effort of will producing exaggerated physical effects, e.g. the intoxicated person will make a gigantic leap to clear the smallest obstacle. The Lapps may have picked up the habit of eating the Fly Agaric through observing the effects of the fungus on reindeer, which are similarly affected. Indeed, they like it so much that all one has to do to round up a wandering herd is to scatter pieces of Fly Agaric on the ground. Another observation the Lapps made from the reindeer was that the intoxicating compounds in the fungus can be recycled by consuming the urine of an intoxicated person. The effects of consuming this species are exceedingly unpredictable; some people remain unaffected while others have similar, or different, symptoms to those above, and at least one death is attributed to A. muscaria. This unpredictability is due to the fungus containing different amounts of the toxins ibotenic acid and muscimol according to season, method of cooking and ingestion, as well as the subject’s state of mind. Ibotenic acid is mostly concentrated in the coloured skin of the cap. This very unstable compound rapidly degrades on drying to form muscimol which is five to ten times more potent. Traditionally, where A. muscaria is used as an inebriant, it is the dried cap which is taken.
info by Roger Phillips:
Amanita muscaria is a poisonous and psychoactive basidiomycete fungus, one of many in the genus Amanita. Native throughout the temperate and boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere, Amanita muscaria has been unintentionally introduced to many countries in the southern hemisphere, generally as a symbiont with pine plantations, and is now a true cosmopolitan species. It associates with various deciduous and coniferous trees. The quintessential toadstool, it is a large white-gilled, white-spotted, usually deep red mushroom, one of the most recognizable and widely encountered in popular culture. Although it is generally considered poisonous, deaths from its consumption are extremely rare, and it is eaten as a food in parts of Europe, Asia, and North America after parboiling. Amanita muscaria is now primarily famed for its hallucinogenic properties, with its main psychoactive constituent being the compound muscimol. It was used as an intoxicant and entheogen by the peoples of Siberia and has a religious significance in these cultures. There has been much speculation on traditional use of this mushroom as an intoxicant in places other than Siberia; however, such traditions are far less well documented.
L'Amanita muscaria (comunemente chiamata ovolo malefico o Fungo di Biancaneve) è uno dei funghi velenosi più appariscenti del bosco.Da 8–20 cm di diametro, da rosso vermiglio a rosso acceso, raramente giallastro, cosparso di verruche bianche o gialle (resti del velo); orlo liscio, ma striato nel senso delle lamelle; cuticola viscida a tempo umido, facilmente staccabile dal cappello. Allo stadio giovanile è chiuso ed a forma emisferica che, una volta maturo, si apre assumendo la consueta forma a fungo.Fitte, libere, bianche, talvolta volgenti al giallo-limone, con lamellule. Le lamelle sviluppano l'imenio, la parte fertile del fungo dalla quale si formano le spore.Il gambo è cilindrico e slanciato, bulboso alla base, bianco e portante anello e volva. Nettamente bulboso alla base, pieno poi cavo, spesso squamuloso-forforaceo. Fino a 20–25 cm circa di altezza per 1-3 di spessore.L'anello è collocato nella parte alta del gambo, ampio, membranoso, bianco, persistente, un po' striato.La volva è dissociata in fasce anulari concentriche, che avvolgono il tratto bulboso dello stipite, bianche e persistenti.La carne è bianca, colore arancio sotto la cuticola del cappello, soda.Le spore sono bianche in massa, ovali, non amiloidi, 9-11 x 6,5-7,5 µm. ed il loro numero è quasi incalcolabile nell'ordine dei miliardi nel corso di un anno.Si trova comunemente in estate-autunno nei boschi di conifere e di latifoglie, più frequente sotto conifere. Molto diffuso.
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So many tempting promises like inspired intoxicants, house tonics, or a deluge of gin, yet the chairs were legs up. Oh well, maybe ... #etbtsy
Continued on my blog: Kodak stroll through Buffalo, New York
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE2 camera on Kodak T-Max 100 Black & White Negative Film, developed in replenished D-23 developer.
Vliegenzwam
Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric or fly amanita, is a poisonous and psychoactive basidiomycete fungus, one of many in the genus Amanita. Native throughout the temperate and boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere, Amanita muscaria has been unintentionally introduced to many countries in the southern hemisphere, generally as a symbiont with pine plantations, and is now a true cosmopolitan species. It associates with various deciduous and coniferous trees.
The quintessential toadstool, it is a large white-gilled, white-spotted, usually red mushroom, one of the most recognisable and widely encountered in popular culture. Several subspecies with differing cap colour have been recognised, including the brown regalis (considered a separate species), the yellow-orange flavivolvata, guessowii, formosa, and the pinkish persicina. Genetic studies published in 2006 and 2008 show several sharply delineated clades that may represent separate species.
Although it is generally considered poisonous, there are few documented human deaths from its consumption, and after having been parboiled it is eaten as a food in parts of Europe, Asia, and North America. Amanita muscaria is noted for its hallucinogenic properties, with its main psychoactive constituent being the compound muscimol. The mushroom was used as an intoxicant and entheogen by the peoples of Siberia, and has a religious significance in these cultures. There has been much speculation on possible traditional use of this mushroom as an intoxicant in places other than Siberia, but such traditions are far less well documented. The American banker and amateur ethnomycologist R. Gordon Wasson proposed that the fly agaric was the soma of the ancient Rig Veda texts of India; since its introduction in 1968, this theory has gained both followers and detractors in anthropological literature.
Nashville, TN
Fantastic historic alleyway - this is probably my favorite spot in the city- still holds the gritty character that defines its identity - you can feel a strong sense of the past - plus it's great to draw.
from the website:
HISTORY OF PRINTER'S ALLEY
Printer's Alley takes its name from its early connection with Nashville's printing and publishing industry, then located in the immediate area. The alley also became the center of the city's nightlife and serviced the hotels, restaurants, and saloons fronting on Fourth Avenue, which was known as the Men's Quarter in the late nineteenth century.
Nightclubs opened here in the 1940s, and the alley became a showcase for the talents of performers such as Boots Randolph, Chet Atkins, Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams, and Dottie West. This historic district's architecture includes elegant late Victorian styles, Nashville's first automobile parking garage, and the city's first "skyscraper."
In the late 1800's Printers Alley was a part of "The Men's District". Many Cafes, Saloons, Gambling Halls and Speakeasies sprang up to cater to the men of Nashville's Print shops, Judges, Lawyers, Politicians and other Nashville Elite were also known to frequent the Alley. At the turn of the Centure, the Climax Club of Printer's Alley was nationally known as Nashville's Premier Entertainment spot.
Printers Alley was Nashville's dirty little secret. It didn't matter what you were looking for, you could find it there. Nashville's Politicians and Police protected the Alley even after the sale of Liquor was outlawed in 1909.
Hilary House, elected Mayor at the time was quoted by reporters at the time as saying, "Protect them? I do better than that, I patronize them" He was Mayor for 21 of the 30 years that the sale of intoxicants were illegal. In 1939, Nashville repealed prohibition and made it legal to buy liquor in stores. For the next 30 years The Alley flourished as the Mixing Bar came into existence.
Although Liquor was legal, you could not buy it by the drink. Advertisements for the Clubs in the 1960's stated "Bring Your Own Bottle" and they would then mix your drink for you. People would bring their choice of beverage tightly wrapped in a brown paper bag and leave it in a locker or on a shelf behind the bar of their favorite haunt. Written on those bottles were the names of Nashville's movers and shakers of the day.
between the rains in the soaking heat, through the hollows and gorges of this primitive river, aromatic potentates of the forest proffer the perfume blessings of their green loins. The olfactory intoxicant rises in chorus with the heavy wet air, wet dirt, wet rock and wet bark in the abiding earthiness of this green water river. This blessing relieves the weight of the greasy, slippery brine pouring off my flesh with each silent stroke of the paddle. The canoe glides me along the river like some watery ghost.
Belgian postcard by N.V. Victoria, Brussels, no. 639 / 21. Photo: Paramount.
American actress Gail Russell (1924-1961) was an incredible doe-eyed beauty who presented a screen image of great innocence and vulnerability. She is best known for the supernatural horror film The Uninvited (1944). During a promising career at Paramount, she became a victim of alcoholism. It ruined her career, appearance and marriage to Guy Madison. In 1961, she died from liver damage, only 36.
Gail Russell was born born Elizabeth L. Russell in 1924 to George and Gladys (Barnet) Russell in Chicago, Illinois. The family moved to the Los Angeles, California, area when she was a teenager. Her father was initially a musician but later worked for Lockheed Corporation. Russell attended high school in Santa Monica, California, where she was spotted by a Paramount talent scout and signed to a contract immediately upon graduation. Although Russell was possessed with a paralyzing kind of self-consciousness and had no acting experience, Paramount had great expectations for her and employed an acting coach to work with her. At the age of 19 she made her film debut with a small part in the comedy Henry Aldrich Gets Glamour (Hugh Bennett, 1943). She also had a small part in the musical Lady in the Dark (Mitchell Leisen, 1943) with Ginger Rogers. Russell's haunting, melancholy beauty was ideally suited for the ingénue role in the lavish supernatural horror film The Uninvited (Lewis Allen, 1944) with Ray Milland. Hal Erickson at AllMovie: "The Uninvited remains one of the spookiest "old dark house" films ever made, even after years of inundation by computer-generated special effects." Lewis Allen then directed Russell in Our Hearts Were Young and Gay (Lewis Allen, 1944), in which she co-starred with Diana Lynn. It was another success. Russell co-starred opposite Alan Ladd in Salty O'Rourke (Raoul Walsh, 1945), a horse racing drama. She made a third film with Allen, The Unseen (Lewis Allen, 1945), an unofficial follow up to The Uninvited. Gail played Elizabeth Howard, a governess of the house in question. The film turned a profit but was not the hit that Paramount executives hoped for. Then she and Lynn were in Our Hearts Were Growing Up (William D. Russell, 1946), a sequel to Our Hearts Were Young and Gay. The plot centered around two young college girls getting involved with bootleggers. Unfortunately, it was not anywhere the caliber of the first film and it failed at the box-office. She was reunited with Ladd in Calcutta (John Farrow, 1947), shot in 1945 but not released until two years later. Although the film was popular, critics felt that Russell was miscast.
Gail Russell left Paramount and appeared in the romantic comedy The Bachelor's Daughters (Andrew L. Stone, 1948) for United Artists. John Wayne hired her to be his co-star in a film he was producing, Angel and the Badman (James Edward Grant, 1948). It was a hit with the public and Gail shone in the role of Penelope Worth, a feisty Quaker girl who tries to tame gunfighter Wayne. She did Moonrise (Frank Borzage, 1948) for Republic. Bruce Eder at AllMovie: "Moonrise, the most expensive movie ever made by Republic up to that time, but one that was worth every penny. Arguably Borzage's finest directorial effort and the most hauntingly beautiful movie ever issued by the studio, Moonrise is filled with delights at just about every level that it is possible to enjoy in a movie." Russell returned to Paramount for Night Has a Thousand Eyes (John Farrow, 1948) with Edward G. Robinson, then reteamed with Wayne for Wake of the Red Witch (Edward Ludwig, 1948). She appeared in a Western with John Wayne for Pine-Thomas Productions, El Paso (Lewis R. Foster, 1949). Russell did Song of India (Albert S. Rogell, 1949) with Sabu for Columbia and The Great Dan Patch (1949) for United Artists. She made some more Pine-Thomas films: Captain China (Lewis R. Foster, 1950) with Payne, and the Film Noir The Lawless (Joseph Losey, 1951) with Macdonald Carey. She married film star Guy Madison in 1949, but by 1950 it was well known that she had become a victim of alcoholism, and Paramount did not renew her contract. She had started drinking on the set of The Uninvited to ease her paralyzing stage fright and lack of confidence. She made Air Cadet (Joseph Pevney, 1951) for Universal, but alcohol made a shambles of her career, appearance and personal life. In January 1954, in a court in Santa Monica, California, Russell pleaded guilty to a charge of drunkenness, receiving a $150 fine. The fine was in lieu of a jail sentence, with the provision that she not use intoxicants or attend night spots for two years. In the same court session, she received a continuance on a charge of driving while drunk.
Gail Russell disappeared from the screen for the next five years while she attempted to get control of her life. In 1954, she divorced Guy Madison. She returned to work in a co-starring role with Randolph Scott in the Western Seven Men from Now (Budd Boetticher, 1956), produced by her friend Wayne, and had a substantial role in the Film Noir The Tattered Dress (Jack Arnold, 1957) with Jeanne Crain and Jeff Chandler. In July 1957, she was photographed by a Los Angeles Times photographer after she drove her convertible into the front of Jan's Coffee Shop at 8424 Beverly Boulevard. After failing a sobriety test, Russell was arrested and charged with driving under the influence. She appeared in the B-film No Place to Land (Albert C. Gannaway, 1958) for Republic. By now the demons of alcohol had her in its grasp. She was again absent from the screen until The Silent Call (John A. Bushelman, 1961), a respectable family film about a big dog by the name of Pete with definite separation anxiety. It was to be her last film. On 26 August 1961, Russell was found dead in her small apartment in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California. She was only 36. She died from liver damage attributed to "acute and chronic alcoholism" with stomach contents aspiration as an additional cause. She was also found to have been suffering from malnutrition at the time of her death. She was buried in Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery in North Hollywood.
Sources: Hal Erickson (AllMovie), Denny Jackson (IMDb), Jim Beaver (IMDb), Wikipedia and IMDb.
Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric or fly amanita, is a basidiomycete of the genus Amanita. It is also a muscimol mushroom. Native throughout the temperate and boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere, Amanita muscaria has been unintentionally introduced to many countries in the Southern Hemisphere, generally as a symbiont with pine and birch plantations, and is now a true cosmopolitan species. It associates with various deciduous and coniferous trees.
Arguably the most iconic toadstool species, the fly agaric is a large white-gilled, white-spotted, usually red mushroom, and is one of the most recognizable and widely encountered in popular culture. This includes video game design, such as the extensive use of a recognizable Amanita muscaria in the Mario franchise and its Super Mushroom power up.
Despite its easily distinguishable features, Amanita muscaria is a fungus with several known variations, or subspecies. These subspecies are slightly different, some have yellow or white caps, but they are all usually called fly agarics, and they are most of the time recognizable by their notable white spots. Recent DNA fungi research, however, has shown that some of these variations are not muscarias at all, such as the peach-colored fly agaric for example, but the common name 'fly agaric' clings on.
Although classified as poisonous, reports of human deaths resulting from A. muscaria ingestion are extremely rare. After parboiling twice with water draining—which weakens its toxicity and breaks down the mushroom's psychoactive substances—it is eaten in parts of Europe, Asia, and North America. All Amanita muscaria varieties, but in particular A. muscaria var. muscaria, are noted for their hallucinogenic properties, with the main psychoactive constituents being the neurotoxins ibotenic acid and muscimol. A local variety of the mushroom was used as an intoxicant and entheogen by the indigenous peoples of Siberia and by the Sámi, and has a religious significance in these cultures. There has been much speculation on possible traditional use of this mushroom as an intoxicant in other places such as the Middle East, Eurasia, North America, and Scandinavia.
This picture represents plentitude, because the girl in the photo has a plenitude of money and uses it to buy herself “happiness”. The reason that I decided to make this picture was again, to tell a story. By only looking at this photo we can infer that she is rich. She has high heels, a tight fancy dress and the golden bracelets and neckless, but most obvious is the money laying all over her as if it’s so much that she doesn’t even know what to do with it anymore, hens plentitude. Having only that would have been to shallow, so I decided to not only show the cause, but also the effect of a plentitude of money. As some people might think, money can buy happiness. But I think money can destroy you, yearning for more and more and ending up back around at nothing with only the deception of a beautiful life left, a fiction of alcohol, cigarettes and drugs. She is craving her next cigarette with an empty bottle of whine, ready to finish the last sip in the glass. Her proper clothes and perfect make-up suddenly run down and washed away. It shows the truth behind all the celebrities that seem so perfect who hidden under the appearance they give off to the world. Safely concealed and closed in by the walls of the shower, where most feelings are hidden, she tries to even hide her unhappy truth from herself with intoxicants.
I took this photo of Alva Hildell after long preparations in the morning light when the sun shines through the bathroom window. First I cut of the ends of cigarettes and burnt them, then I took an empty whine bottle from my parents and filled some grape juice into a whine glass. I applied thick eye and lip makeup on Alva and rubbed it around until she looked tired and seemed to have had a long night after a party. The shoes and dress I borrowed from Alva while I put my jewelry on her. After finally finding a good position I threw the money and cigarette stubs on her and tried out different compositions with the glass and bottle, but the one where she lights it is my absolute favorite! Of course again, I made my model suffer, because the cigarette lit and kept smoking in her eye and smelled horrible for both of us. My bathroom still smells… Just for school-appropriate matters: No, she was not really smoking it, but for my art it was important to make it seem like she is.
In keeping with the vintage nature of my Flickr account, I thought this analog photo would be just right.
While visiting friends in West Haven last summer, one of them snapped this with a dollar-store disposable camera. (why? beats me!)
I have to admit that the grain, blur and color-shifting do give the photo a kind of vintage look and feel. Yes, there's really Mountain Dew and bottled water in that cooler.... no intoxicants. (chortle)
September 29th, night, me Marcela and conway jimmy are about a mile left of South Tuffa... sucking on victory ring pops in the darkness along the dirt road that forks west from the main tuffa full moon photographers highway. We're smiling that smile you get when things go right. Acting the fool and such. Jimmy is off in the darkness looking for driftwood while our whimsical laughter I'm sure can be heard echoing thru the tuffas a half mile out or so. Like drunkin trolls in the darkness. I wanted to get far away from the main location that day in the hope that I could capture the whole harvest scene with my 400MM when the moon chose to break the horizon, and much to my delight, and surprisingly as well, we were the only ones who had done such a thing that day. You could see 50 or 60 photographers scrambling in and out of the tuffa mazes drunk on their own light intoxicant, so I hardly think they even worried a second about their own choices that day. Truth is, there was enough magic to go around. Before the darkness settled upon us, marcela, without hesitation, set off ahead of us... into the closing twilight... thru some rather treacherous snake infested brush.. down to the waters edge... it was a messy endeavor, even messier and more treacherous in the darkness on the way back.. but it landed us smack dab on the western gravelly shoreline of South Tuffa about a 1/4 mile out or so. Spider free. It was a front row seat really for a soon to be stunning moon rise over South Tuffa. I arrived to my calm water seat a while after her, as I often get side tracked with low angle light on sage brush, pop corn and my EXTRA large soda of course. It was a day to remember, and remember it I will.
The next day, the 30th of september... after a calm morning shooting the placid waters of Virginia lake smeared with autumn color, Mr conway jimmy skipped town and me and marcela decide to stop at Mono one last night for a later "day after" moon rise. Skies were kinda blah and we weren't really expecting much... a dark night, darkened ever more by the huge mountain shadow at our back... and a super bright white unshootable moon perhaps.... hardly a site not to gaze upon, but difficult to capture in a single snap I guessed... besides our moon adventure the day before had filled up the full moon tank for the month and it really didn't matter either way at this point what happened from here on out. I felt that I had my full harvest moon pic in the bag for the year, so I was here to enjoy the "never a dull full show moon" with marcela before the long trip back to Malibu the following day. So.. The darkness began to settled in and we waited... and waited... maybe 3 photographers were their, it was exceptionally quiet and tranquil, and beautiful as only Mono knows how to be, save the reverberations of full moon fever from the night before that were still echoing from Murphys motel walls and on thru the mountain peeks of lee vining and beyond.... and then quite suddenly.... and to our delight.... this happened.
French postcard, no. 301. Photo: Paramount.
American actress Gail Russell (1924-1961) was an incredible doe-eyed beauty who presented a screen image of great innocence and vulnerability. She is best known for the supernatural horror film The Uninvited (1944). During a promising career at Paramount, she became a victim of alcoholism. It ruined her career, appearance and marriage to Guy Madison. In 1961, she died from liver damage, only 36.
Gail Russell was born born Elizabeth L. Russell in 1924 to George and Gladys (Barnet) Russell in Chicago, Illinois. The family moved to the Los Angeles, California, area when she was a teenager. Her father was initially a musician but later worked for Lockheed Corporation. Russell attended high school in Santa Monica, California, where she was spotted by a Paramount talent scout and signed to a contract immediately upon graduation. Although Russell was possessed with a paralyzing kind of self-consciousness and had no acting experience, Paramount had great expectations for her and employed an acting coach to work with her. At the age of 19 she made her film debut with a small part in the comedy Henry Aldrich Gets Glamour (Hugh Bennett, 1943). She also had a small part in the musical Lady in the Dark (Mitchell Leisen, 1943) with Ginger Rogers. Russell's haunting, melancholy beauty was ideally suited for the ingénue role in the lavish supernatural horror film The Uninvited (Lewis Allen, 1944) with Ray Milland. Hal Erickson at AllMovie: "The Uninvited remains one of the spookiest "old dark house" films ever made, even after years of inundation by computer-generated special effects." Lewis Allen then directed Russell in Our Hearts Were Young and Gay (Lewis Allen, 1944), in which she co-starred with Diana Lynn. It was another success. Russell co-starred opposite Alan Ladd in Salty O'Rourke (Raoul Walsh, 1945), a horse racing drama. She made a third film with Allen, The Unseen (Lewis Allen, 1945), an unofficial follow up to The Uninvited. Gail played Elizabeth Howard, a governess of the house in question. The film turned a profit but was not the hit that Paramount executives hoped for. Then she and Lynn were in Our Hearts Were Growing Up (William D. Russell, 1946), a sequel to Our Hearts Were Young and Gay. The plot centered around two young college girls getting involved with bootleggers. Unfortunately, it was not anywhere the caliber of the first film and it failed at the box-office. She was reunited with Ladd in Calcutta (John Farrow, 1947), shot in 1945 but not released until two years later. Although the film was popular, critics felt that Russell was miscast.
Gail Russell left Paramount and appeared in the romantic comedy The Bachelor's Daughters (Andrew L. Stone, 1948) for United Artists. John Wayne hired her to be his co-star in a film he was producing, Angel and the Badman (James Edward Grant, 1948). It was a hit with the public and Gail shone in the role of Penelope Worth, a feisty Quaker girl who tries to tame gunfighter Wayne. She did Moonrise (Frank Borzage, 1948) for Republic. Bruce Eder at AllMovie: "Moonrise, the most expensive movie ever made by Republic up to that time, but one that was worth every penny. Arguably Borzage's finest directorial effort and the most hauntingly beautiful movie ever issued by the studio, Moonrise is filled with delights at just about every level that it is possible to enjoy in a movie." Russell returned to Paramount for Night Has a Thousand Eyes (John Farrow, 1948) with Edward G. Robinson, then reteamed with Wayne for Wake of the Red Witch (Edward Ludwig, 1948). She appeared in a Western with John Wayne for Pine-Thomas Productions, El Paso (Lewis R. Foster, 1949). Russell did Song of India (Albert S. Rogell, 1949) with Sabu for Columbia and The Great Dan Patch (1949) for United Artists. She made some more Pine-Thomas films: Captain China (Lewis R. Foster, 1950) with Payne, and the Film Noir The Lawless (Joseph Losey, 1951) with Macdonald Carey. She married film star Guy Madison in 1949, but by 1950 it was well known that she had become a victim of alcoholism, and Paramount did not renew her contract. She had started drinking on the set of The Uninvited to ease her paralyzing stage fright and lack of confidence. She made Air Cadet (Joseph Pevney, 1951) for Universal, but alcohol made a shambles of her career, appearance and personal life. In January 1954, in a court in Santa Monica, California, Russell pleaded guilty to a charge of drunkenness, receiving a $150 fine. The fine was in lieu of a jail sentence, with the provision that she not use intoxicants or attend night spots for two years. In the same court session, she received a continuance on a charge of driving while drunk.
Gail Russell disappeared from the screen for the next five years while she attempted to get control of her life. In 1954, she divorced Guy Madison. She returned to work in a co-starring role with Randolph Scott in the Western Seven Men from Now (Budd Boetticher, 1956), produced by her friend Wayne, and had a substantial role in the Film Noir The Tattered Dress (Jack Arnold, 1957) with Jeanne Crain and Jeff Chandler. In July 1957, she was photographed by a Los Angeles Times photographer after she drove her convertible into the front of Jan's Coffee Shop at 8424 Beverly Boulevard. After failing a sobriety test, Russell was arrested and charged with driving under the influence. She appeared in the B-film No Place to Land (Albert C. Gannaway, 1958) for Republic. By now the demons of alcohol had her in its grasp. She was again absent from the screen until The Silent Call (John A. Bushelman, 1961), a respectable family film about a big dog by the name of Pete with definite separation anxiety. It was to be her last film. On 26 August 1961, Russell was found dead in her small apartment in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California. She was only 36. She died from liver damage attributed to "acute and chronic alcoholism" with stomach contents aspiration as an additional cause. She was also found to have been suffering from malnutrition at the time of her death. She was buried in Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery in North Hollywood.
Sources: Hal Erickson (AllMovie), Denny Jackson (IMDb), Jim Beaver (IMDb), Wikipedia and IMDb.
Found growing on the side of the road.
Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric or fly amanita, is a basidiomycete of the genus Amanita. It is also a muscimol mushroom. Native throughout the temperate and boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere, Amanita muscaria has been unintentionally introduced to many countries in the Southern Hemisphere, generally as a symbiont with pine and birch plantations, and is now a true cosmopolitan species. It associates with various deciduous and coniferous trees.
Arguably the most iconic toadstool species, the fly agaric is a large white-gilled, white-spotted, usually red mushroom, and is one of the most recognizable and widely encountered in popular culture.
Although classified as poisonous, reports of human deaths resulting from A. muscaria ingestion are extremely rare. After parboiling twice with water draining—which weakens its toxicity and breaks down the mushroom's psychoactive substances—it is eaten in parts of Europe, Asia, and North America. All Amanita muscaria varieties, but in particular A. muscaria var. muscaria, are noted for their hallucinogenic properties, with the main psychoactive constituents being the neurotoxins ibotenic acid and muscimol. A local variety of the mushroom was used as an intoxicant and entheogen by the indigenous peoples of Siberia and by the Sámi, and has a religious significance in these cultures. There has been much speculation on possible traditional use of this mushroom as an intoxicant in other places such as the Middle East, Eurasia, North America, and Scandinavia.
(Wikipedia)
Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric or fly amanita, is a basidiomycete of the genus Amanita. It is also a muscimol mushroom. Native throughout the temperate and boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere, Amanita muscaria has been unintentionally introduced to many countries in the Southern Hemisphere, generally as a symbiont with pine and birch plantations, and is now a true cosmopolitan species. It associates with various deciduous and coniferous trees.
Arguably the most iconic toadstool species, the fly agaric is a large white-gilled, white-spotted, usually red mushroom, and is one of the most recognizable and widely encountered in popular culture.
Although classified as poisonous, reports of human deaths resulting from its ingestion are extremely rare. After parboiling twice with water draining—which weakens its toxicity and breaks down the mushroom's psychoactive substances—it is eaten in parts of Europe, Asia, and North America. Amanita muscaria is noted for its hallucinogenic properties, with its main psychoactive constituents being the compounds ibotenic acid and muscimol. The mushroom was used as an intoxicant and entheogen by the indigenous peoples of Siberia and by the Sámi, and has a religious significance in these cultures. There has been much speculation on possible traditional use of this mushroom as an intoxicant in other places such as the Middle East, Eurasia, North America, and Scandinavia.
Excessive alcohol use is responsible for more than 95,000 deaths in the United States each year, or 261 deaths per day. These deaths shorten the lives of those who die by an average of almost 29 years, for a total of 2.8 million years of potential life lost
Cooper square
ManHatTan
Photography’s new conscience
"Sing us the song you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well we're all in the mood for a melody
And you've got us feelin' alright"
(Quote from the famous song- "Piano man" by Billy Joel.)
Photographed on visit to a very remote village in the fringes of forests, Kankrajhore, West Bengal, India. My April' 2021 trip.
May listen to this famous song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_g7fPjVxvg
Kankrajhor
Kankrajhor is a beautiful tourist destination of Jangalmahal Circuit in West Bengal, India. It is situated in the tropical, hilly forestlands of Jhargram district. It comprises 9000 hectares of hardwood forests. The wealth of trees includes Kusum (Ceylon oak), Shaal (Shorea robusta), Segun (Tectona grandis), Mahua (Indian Butter tree, or honey tree- Madhuca longifolia ), Piyal (almondette or calumpong nut, ) and Akashmani (Acacia auriculiformis), as named in Bengali. Its tribal villages at the edge of forests and ethnic people will make you feel a happy stay. Kankrajhor is just 22km from Ghatshila (Jharkhand) & 65 km from Jhargram town.
Beyond the fertile Gangetic plains of Bengal, Jhargram offers the most exotic undulating topography culminating in hilly ranges of Belpahari, Kankrajhor in the north to the serene and meandering Subarnarekha River in the south. Nearby famous Dolma Hills are frequented by animals from Bihar, including tigers, leopards and elephants. Bears and wild boars are frequently found in the hills in search of Mahua flower sap. The sap is a potent intoxicant in the region and is used to make country liquor, simply called Mahua. This is a regular corridor of elephants. They are very much fond of this Mohua flowers and get intoxicated...a pleasure to watch in a full moon night. Every year at this time of month elephants frequently enter into these villages and spoil the crops.
It is a favourite destination for people who love forests and tranquillity. Its exquisite forestry, ancient temples, native folk cultural and tribal dances, makes it an extremely attractive destination for tourists who love yet unspoiled nature and her people of the soil on the face of earth.
How to Reach Kankrajhor-Belpahari:
By Train: The distance from Howrah to Jhargram station is 157 Kms and the journey takes three hours by train from Howrah.
By Road: Jhargram is also very well connected by highways with other nearby cities like Medinipur, Kharagpur, Durgapur, Bankura, Purulia, and Kolkata.
Personal experience
In the first week of April, this year, we suddenly planned to go to Kankrajhor, in the district of Jhargram, West Bengal, India. We drove straight from Kolkata to Jhargram, and then another 60km drive to the heart of Kankrajhor. Our destination was a private cottage with very basic arrangements situated in a small tribal village, on the edge of the forests. This time of a year it was little bit late to enjoy the dazzling blooms of Palash, described as “Flames of the Forests” (Butea monosperma). But this was a right time to cherish the beauty of Shaal-Piyal-Mohua trees everywhere. The green new leaves, sweet intoxicating fragrance of Mohua flowers and the extreme business of the wild bees and birds, will always remind you the youthfulness of a spring. The red lateritic forest floor is an experience to walk on. While walking on its undulated trails through forests you will hear only the relentless chirping of birds and murmurs of dry leaves being moved by frequent gust of cold breezes. Such ambiance in an afternoon will surely make you intoxicated and drowsy, free of all wiriness and stresses of busy urban life, and will help you enter into a peaceful siesta. One may arrange tribal dances amidst this forest, their native home. Their beating of drums, and the indigenous harmony of dances will make you fallen in love with this place. I’m sure. With the sunset the whole surroundings suddenly turn into a mystical darkness. Far from the distance sitting in the hut you may hear the intermittent sounds of nocturnal birds, hyenas, jackals and foxes.
The dinner is very simple. Country chicken and rice is a luxury here. We had the wonderful taste of its country liquor made from Mohua flowers (Madhuca longifolia). It was a wonderful experience for all of us.
Simple and beautiful tribal people there, basic stay with optimal standard and simple healthy food, unspoiled nature, tranquillity, and serenity...all will definitely make you feel... “How much we need to be happy?” Really?
Ecstasy a theory of embodied emotions that anticipates the role ascribed by twentieth century phenomenology to anxiety and other ‘bad moods’, as possibilities for philosophical reflection and self-understanding. (from Ancient Greek ἔκστασις ékstasis) is a subjective experience of total involvement of the subject, with an object of his or her awareness. In classical Greek literature it refers to removal of the mind or body "from its normal place of function."In love, one feels simultaneously vulnerable and strong, united with the beloved and isolated in a heightened sense of self, abased and exalted – delicious emotions that well out of one’s innermost being and gratitude for the splendors of the objective real. Almost the same words serve to describe an encounter with the divine. To most people, the tidal swing of emotion culminating in the ecstasy of sexual embrace is the most they will ever know of mystical union and transcendence. Not surprisingly. World literature and art – notably those of India, China, and the West – have seen fit to conjoin the two. There was then no cover-up, no sense of a split between body and soul, the “low” and the “high”. In the absence of such a sense of split, a body evokes feelings that merge and rise effortlessly to the realm of the spirit. In the West, Solomon’s poetry (Song of Songs) provides an early and familiar model of how a charged erotic language can call forth the passion and mystery of divine union. Again and again, Western mystics and poets have availed themselves of this model, outstandingly St. John of the Cross, whose Spiritual Canticle contains images that could shock even W. H. Auden, a very worldly and modern poet. In sculptural art, the voluptuous forms of gods and goddesses, the transparent identification of sexual congress – the herd girls’ desire for Krishna – with mystical ecstasy, richly adorn the exterior of Hindu temples. Almost as gloriously unselfconscious are works of Western sculpture and painting from classical antiquity to the seventeenth century. Over and over again, the perfectly formed human nude is made to serve as a symbol of spiritual perfection. In medieval times, sculptors saw nothing amiss in using pagan Nereids to represent blessed souls on their way to heaven. During periods of religious fervor, outstandingly the sixteenth century, the line between sacred and profane ecstasy was exceedingly fine. Saints, daringly uncovered, turned their eyes to heaven in bliss. Michelangelo’s drawing of the risen Christ (housed at Windsor) shows him completely nude, with exposed genitals. To the art historian Kenneth Clark it is “perhaps the most beautiful nude in ecstasy in the whole of art.”Religious ecstasy is a type of altered state of consciousness characterized by greatly reduced external awareness and expanded interior mental and spiritual awareness, frequently accompanied by visions and emotional (and sometimes physical) euphoria. Although the experience is usually brief in time,[1] there are records of such experiences lasting several days or even more, and of recurring experiences of ecstasy during one's lifetime. A person's sense of time and space disappear during a religious ecstasy forsaking any senses or physical cognizance in its duration. Among venerated Catholic saints who dabble in Christian mysticism, a person's physical stature, human sensory, or perception is completely detached to time and space during an ecstatic experience. In Sufism, the term is referred to as wajd and the experience is referred to as either jazbah or majzoobiyat. The religious ecstacy of Saint Teresa of Avila of the Carmelite Order, here portrayed being pierced a thousand times in the heart by a Putto. The adjective "religious" means that the experience occurs in connection with religious activities or is interpreted in context of a religion. Marghanita Laski writes in her study "Ecstasy in Religious and Secular Experiences," first published in 1961:
"Epithets are very often applied to mystical experiences including ecstasies without, apparently, any clear idea about the distinctions that are being made. Thus we find experiences given such names as nature, religious, aesthetic, neo-platonic, sexual etc. experiences, where in some cases the name seems to derive from trigger, sometimes from the overbelief, sometimes from the known standing and beliefs of the mystic, and sometimes, though rarely, from the nature of the experience. Ecstasies enjoyed by accepted religious mystics are usually called religious experiences no matter what the nature of the ecstasy or the trigger inducing it."
Exclusive and inclusive views Saint Francis of Assisi in Ecstasy. Caravaggio, oil on panel. Religious people may hold the view that true religious ecstasy occurs only in their religious context (e.g. as a gift from the supernatural being whom they follow) and it cannot be induced by natural means (human activities). Trance-like states which are often interpreted as religious ecstasy have been deliberately induced with techniques or ecstatic practices; including, prayer, religious rituals, meditation, breathing exercises, physical exercise, sex, music, dancing, sweating, fasting, thirsting, and psychotropic drugs. An ecstatic experience may take place in occasion of contact with something or somebody perceived as extremely beautiful or holy. It may also happen without any known reason. The particular technique that an individual uses to induce ecstasy is usually one that is associated with that individual's particular religious and cultural traditions. As a result, an ecstatic experience is usually interpreted within the particular individual religious context and cultural traditions. These interpretations often include statements about contact with supernatural or spiritual beings, about receiving new information as a revelation, also religion-related explanations of subsequent change of values, attitudes and behavior (e.g. in case of religious conversion). Achieving ecstatic trances is a shamanic activity, inducing ecstasy for such purposes as traveling to heaven or the underworld, guiding or otherwise interacting with spirits, clairvoyance, and healing. Some shamans take drugs from such plants as Ayahuasca, peyote and cannabis (drug) or certain mushrooms in their attempts to reach ecstasy, while others rely on such non-chemical means as ritual, music, dance, ascetic practices, or visual designs as aids to mental discipline. Athletes may follow rituals in preparing for contests, which are dismissed as superstition, but this sports psychology device may help them to attain advantage in an ecstasy-like state. Yoga provides techniques to attain an ecstasy state called samādhi. According to practitioners, there are various stages of ecstasy, the highest being Nirvikalpa Samadhi. Bhakti Yoga especially, places emphasis on ecstasy as being one of the fruits of its practice.
In Buddhism, especially in the Pali Canon, there are eight states of trance also called absorption. The first four states are Rupa or, materially-oriented. The next four are Arupa or non-material. These eight states are preliminary trances which lead up to final saturation. In Visuddhimagga, great effort and years of sustained meditation are practiced to reach the first absorption, and that not all individuals are able to accomplish it at all. Modern meditator experiences in the Thai Forest Tradition, as well as other Theravadin traditions, demonstrates that this effort and rarity is necessary only to become completely immersed in the absorptions and experience no other sensations. It is possible to experience the absorptions in a less intense state with much less practice. In the Dionysian Mysteries, initiates used intoxicants and other trance-inducing techniques (like dance and music) to remove inhibitions and social constraints, liberating the individual to return to a natural state. In the monotheistic tradition, ecstasy is usually associated with communion and oneness with God. However, such experiences can also be personal mystical experiences with no significance to anyone but the person experiencing them. Some charismatic Christians practice ecstatic states (such as "being slain in the Spirit") and interpret these as given by the Holy Spirit. The firewalkers of Greece dance themselves into a state of ecstasy at the annual Anastenaria, when they believe themselves under the influence of Saint Constantine. Historically, large groups of individuals have experienced religious ecstasies during periods of Christian revivals, to the point of causing controversy as to the origin and nature of these experiences. In response to claims that all emotional expressions of religious ecstasy were attacks on order and theological soundness from the Devil, Jonathan Edwards published his now-famous and influential Treatise on Religious Affections. Here, he argues, religious ecstasy could come from oneself, the Devil, or God, and it was only by observing the fruit, or changes in inner thought and behaviour, that one could determine if the religious ecstasy had come from God.
In hagiography (writings about Christian saints) many instances are recorded in which saints are granted ecstasies. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia religious ecstasy (called "supernatural ecstasy") includes two elements: one, interior and invisible, in which the mind rivets its attention on a religious subject, and another, corporeal and visible, in which the activity of the senses is suspended, reducing the effect of external sensations upon the subject and rendering him or her resistant to awakening. The witnesses of a Marian apparition often describe experiencing these elements of ecstasy. Modern Witchcraft traditions may define themselves as "ecstatic traditions," and focus on reaching ecstatic states in their rituals. The Reclaiming Tradition and the Feri Tradition are two modern ecstatic Witchcraft examples. As described by the Indian spiritual teacher Meher Baba, God-intoxicated souls known as masts experience a unique type of spiritual ecstasy: "[M]asts are desperately in love with God – or consumed by their love for God. Masts do not suffer from what may be called a disease. They are in a state of mental disorder because their minds are overcome by such intense spiritual energies that are far too much for them, forcing them to lose contact with the world, shed normal human habits and customs, and civilized society and live in a state of spiritual splendor but physical squalor. They are overcome by an agonizing love for God and are drowned in their ecstasy. Only the divine love embodied in a Perfect Master can reach them."
Total involvement with an object of interest is not an ordinary experience because of being aware of other objects, thus ecstasy is an example of an altered state of consciousness characterized by diminished awareness of other objects or the total lack of the awareness of surroundings and everything around the object. The word is also used to refer to any heightened state of consciousness or intensely pleasant experience. It is also used more specifically to denote states of awareness of non-ordinary mental spaces, which may be perceived as spiritual (the latter type of ecstasy often takes the form of religious ecstasy). From a psychological perspective, ecstasy is a loss of self-control and sometimes a temporary loss of consciousness, which is often associated with religious mysticism, sexual intercourse and the use of certain drugs.[2] For the duration of the ecstasy the ecstatic is out of touch with ordinary life and is capable neither of communication with other people nor of undertaking normal actions. The experience can be brief in physical time, or it can go on for hours. Subjective perception of time, space or self may strongly change or disappear during ecstasy. For instance, if one is concentrating on a physical task, then any intellectual thoughts may cease. On the other hand, making a spirit journey in an ecstatic trance involves the cessation of voluntary bodily movement.
Ecstasy can be deliberately induced using religious or creative activities, meditation, music, dancing, breathing exercises, physical exercise, sexual intercourse or consumption of psychotropic drugs. The particular technique that an individual uses to induce ecstasy is usually also associated with that individual's particular religious and cultural traditions. Sometimes an ecstatic experience takes place due to occasional contact with something or somebody perceived as extremely beautiful or holy, or without any known reason. "In some cases, a person might obtain an ecstatic experience 'by mistake'. Maybe the person unintentionally triggers one of the, probably many, physiological mechanisms through which such an experience can be reached. In such cases, it is not rare to find that the person later, by reading, looks for an interpretation and maybe finds it within a tradition." People interpret the experience afterward according to their culture and beliefs (as a revelation from God, a trip to the world of spirits or a psychotic episode). "When a person is using an ecstasy technique, he usually does so within a tradition. When he reaches an experience, a traditional interpretation of it already exists." The experience together with its subsequent interpretation may strongly and permanently change the value system and the worldview of the subject (e.g. to cause religious conversion). In 1925, James Leuba wrote: "Among most uncivilized populations, as among civilized peoples, certain ecstatic conditions are regarded as divine possession or as union with the Divine. These states are induced by means of drugs, by physical excitement, or by psychical means. But, however produced and at whatever level of culture they may be found, they possess certain common features which suggest even to the superficial observer some profound connection. Always described as delightful beyond expression, these awesome ecstatic experiences end commonly in mental quiescence or even in total unconsciousness." He prepares his readers "... to recognize a continuity of impulse, of purpose, of form and of result between the ecstatic intoxication of the savage and the absorption in God of the Christian mystic." "In everyday language, the word 'ecstasy' denotes an intense, euphoric experience. For obvious reasons, it is rarely used in a scientific context; it is a concept that is extremely hard to define."For over three centuries, western science – and in particular, psychiatry – has tended to pathologize ‘mystical experience’, to reduce it to a delusion or mental illness. In the Enlightenment, natural philosophers called it ‘enthusiasm’, and blamed on an over-active imagination or an over-warm brain. In the late 19th century, psychiatrists labelled it ‘hysteria’. In the 20th century, spiritual experiences were (and still are) reduced to brain disorders like schizophrenia or epilepsy. The consequence of this long pathologization of ecstasy is that there’s a taboo around such experiences. As Aldous Huxley put it: ‘If you have an experience like this, you keep your mouth shut, for fear of being told to go to a psychoanalyst’, or, in our day, a psychiatrist. And the result of that taboo is that western culture has become spiritually flat, afraid to let go, stuck in our heads and our egos, lacking a window to transcendence. In the last few years, however, a consensus has begun to emerge in psychology and psychiatry that ecstatic experiences – moments when we go beyond our ordinary ego and feel a connection to something bigger than us – are often good for us. Scientists can’t agree on what to call this sort of experience – it’s variously studied as self-transcendence; flow; mystical, religious, spiritual or anomalous experience; altered states of consciousness; or (my preferred term) ecstasy. But scientists do agree that it’s an important human experience that can be very healing. This is a big shift for western science, and western culture. Ecstasy is good for us because it gets us out of our head. Emotional disorders like depression, anxiety and addiction are perpetuated by rigid and repetitive patterns of thinking, feeling and acting. We get stuck in loops of negative rumination, endlessly thinking about ourselves and our imperfections. We can free ourselves from these rigid mental habits by using rationality to unpick our beliefs – this is what Cognitive Behavioural Therapy does. But we can also get out of these loops by shifting our consciousness. To use the terminology of the New Testament, we can have sudden epiphanies which break us out of the tomb of our egos, giving us the experience of being born again. Being reborn – suddenly reconfiguring the self – is a fundamental human capacity, not found only in followers of Jesus. There are shallower and deeper forms of ego-loss. At the lighter end of the spectrum, there are the sort of ‘flow’ states which we might find each day or week, where we lose ourselves in reading a good book, or walking in the park, or going for a run. These activities settle and absorb our consciousness, taking us out of the loop of rumination, helping us forget ourselves in the moment (here’s an interview I did with flow psychologist Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi on flow and ecstasy). We are anxiety-ridden animals. Our minds are continually active, fabricating an anxious, usually self-preoccupied, often falsifying veil which partially conceals our world…The most obvious thing in our surroundings which is an occasion for ‘unselfing’ is what is popularly called beauty…I am looking out of my window in an anxious and resentful state of mind…Then suddenly I observe a hovering kestrel. In a moment everything is altered. The brooding self with its hurt vanity has disappeared. There is nothing now but kestrel. Nature is the most reliable route to this sort of ego-dissolving wonder. When we go for a walk, run, ride or swim in nature, we might discover what Wordsworth called ‘the quiet stream of self-forgetfulness’. We get into the ‘reverie’ that Rousseau wrote about when he went walking, feel a mind-expansion at the beauty of the landscape, and this breaks the loop of rumination. Here’s a 2015 study on how a 90-minute walk in nature reduces rumination. The arts can do something similar – absorb our consciousness so that we lose ourselves in the moment, in the book, poem, play, painting, song, cathedral etc – and this shift in consciousness breaks the loop of rumination and takes us somewhere quieter, better, more spacious. A 2016 mass survey by Durham University found reading and nature were our favourite ways to rest – and switching off the restless ego-mind is an important part of that. Likewise, meditation and prayer can help us find the space between our ruminating thoughts. Many of us use sport as a way to get out of the noise of our head and into our bodies. Such moments of absorption can be very socially connecting. Suddenly, we’re taken out of our ego-loops and joined in what social psychologist Jonathan Haidt called ‘the hive mind’. That’s a great antidote to the chronic western affliction of loneliness. We might get that experience singing, dancing, marching or playing music together, which studies shows helps to synchronize people’s breathing and even heart-beat. We might get collective flow from playing or watching sport together, or participating in a concert or political rally. Or – the oldest route – we might get it by worshipping the divine in some form or other. And then there are deeper moments of self-transcendence, which the mystics call ‘ecstasy’, in which one becomes so absorbed in a moment or activity that one’s identity and conception of reality are radically altered, perhaps permanently. Such moments are rare, but they can be life-changing. At this deeper end of what I call the ‘continuum of absorption’, one finds experiences like strong psychedelic trips, moments of deep contemplation, spontaneous spiritual experiences, and near-death experiences. Take spontaneous spiritual experiences. In surveys, between 50% and 80% of people say they have experienced a moment of ecstasy, where they’ve gone beyond their normal sense of identity and felt a deep connection to something greater than them. Here’s one example: During my late 20s and early 30s I had a good deal of depression. I felt shut up in a cocoon of complete isolation and could not get in touch with anyone…things came to such a pass and I was so tired of fighting that I said one day, ‘I can do no more. Let nature, or whatever is behind the universe, look after me now.’ Within a few days I passed from a hell to a heaven. It was as if the cocoon had burst and my eyes were opened and I saw. Everything was alive and God was present in all things….Psychologically and for my own peace of mind, the effect has been of the greatest importance. In a survey I did, agnostics and atheists also reported moments where they felt a deep connection between themselves and all things – indeed, arch-rationalist Bertrand Russell had a mystical moment where he suddenly felt profoundly connected to everyone in the street. He said that experience turned him into a pacifist. We might make sense of such moments of connection differently, but they seem very common, and on the whole good for us. Psychedelics are similarly effective at giving people a sense of spiritual connection and oneness. Comedian Simon Amstell has spoken of how a psychedelic brew called ayahuasca, found in the Amazon jungle, helped him overcome depression: ‘Before I left I felt broken. After I came back, I didn’t feel broken anymore…I felt like I was part of the world, not disconnected from it.’,After 40 years in the wilderness, psychedelics are rapidly returning to the mainstream of western medicine. Just this month, the Lancet published a trial showing the effectiveness of ketamine at treating chronic depression, while BBC One’s main daytime TV show, Victoria, had a segment on the benefits of LSD microdosing in managing emotional problems. Other trials have found psychedelics effective at treating depression and addiction. One of the most powerful forms of ecstatic experience is the ‘near-death experience’. Thanks to improved resuscitation procedures, NDEs are increasingly common and there are several academic research units studying them. They seem to share common features, particularly an encounter with a white light and a sense of being profoundly loved. People typically return from NDEs less afraid of death, because they no longer think it’s the end. I had an NDE myself when I was 21 – that’s how I became interested in this topic – and it helped me recover from PTSD. After five years of feeling my ego was permanently broken, I realized there was something within me bigger than my ego, which was loved and OK.
Other forms of ecstatic experience seem to work in a similar way – they take people beyond their constructed ego and give them a sense of love-connection to some greater whole. In the trials I mentioned at the start of this article, psilocybin seemed to give the participants an NDE-type experience. Here’s the report of one participant in the NYU study:
For the first time in my life, I felt like there was a creator of the universe, a force greater than myself, and that I should be kind and loving. I experienced a profound psychic shift that made me realize all my anxieties, defences and insecurities weren’t something to worry about. Now, this poses a challenge for western science. It appears that moments of ecstasy or ‘mystical experiences’ can be very therapeutic. But are they true? Are we really connected to all beings and the universe in some kind of psychic love-connection? Is there really a loving God beyond our ego? Tucked away in the formal language of the Johns Hopkins study is the comment that one psychedelic trip increased people’s belief in the afterlife (see the passage below), and this was one of the factors in the reduction of death-anxiety.St. Theresa of Avila was a Spanish nun, mystic and writer during the Counter-Reformation. Some sources suggest that as a girl, Theresa was willful and spoiled, and chose to enter the Carmelite sisterhood instead of marrying a wealthy hidalgo based on the mistaken belief that as a nun she would be afforded more freedom. Upon entering the convent aged 19, Theresa became seriously ill (she has now become a patron saint for the infirm), possibly depressed and subjecting her body to self-mutilation. By the time she reached her forties, Theresa had settled down to her new spiritual life, when one day, while praying and singing the hymn "Veni Creator Spiritus," she experienced the first of the episodes that would accompany her for the rest of her life: a rapture. In her writings, Theresa describes how she would feel suddenly consumed by the love of God, feel the bodily presence of Christ or of angels, and be lifted to an exalted state of ecstasy. Although in her own lifetime Theresa was sometimes ridiculed for such claims, or even accused of communing with the devil, she became a prominent figure in the church. Theresa was one of only three female church doctors and was finally canonized in 1622. Bernini's famous sculpture was commissioned by Cardinal Federico Cornaro of Venice in 1647 for his burial chapel in Santa Maria della Vittoria, replacing the previous sculpture showing St. Paul in Ecstasy. The Cardinal hired an already famous but down and out Bernini (his reputation was tarnished after his bell tower for the façade of St. Peter's had to be demolished in 1646) for the fantastic amount of 12,000 scudi (roughly $120,000), a price unheard of at that time. The Ecstasy of St. Theresa is considered by many as the apogee of Bernini's oeuvre and is notable for the following qualities; Bernini's St. Theresa is often described as a gesamtkunstwerk (a German word meaning "total work of art") for the artist's incorporation of a variety of elements: sculpture, painting, and lighting effects all presented in a theatrical setting. The Ecstasy of St. Theresa is not just a sculpture, but a total environment: Bernini designed the entire chapel, creating a veritable stage set complete with sculpted audience members. Although some art historians insist that Bernini could not possibly have intended to imbue this subject with an erotic energy, as that would have been inconceivably heretical for that time, in reality the concupiscent implications of this work are unmistakable: the beautiful, bare-chested young angle gently opens Theresa's dress, preparing to penetrate her with his arrow, while the saint throws back her head with an expression of ecstasy. The sensuality of the piece is directly inspired by St. Theresa's own writings, in which she describes her mystical experiences in overtly erotic terms; "... Beside me, on the left hand, appeared an angel in bodily form... He was not tall but short, and very beautiful; and his face was so aflame that he appeared to be one of the highest rank of angels, who seem to be all on fire... In his hands I saw a great golden spear, and at the iron tip there appeared to be a point of fire. This he plunged into my heart several times ... and left me utterly consumed by the great love of God. The pain was so severe that it made me utter several moans. The sweetness caused by this intense pain is so extreme that one cannot possibly wish it to cease, nor is one's soul then content with anything but God. This is not a physical, but a spiritual pain, though the body has some share in it-even a considerable share ..." Even more so than in his previous works, in The Ecstasy of Saint Theresa Bernini takes the principles of the Baroque (drama, emotion, theatricality) to unknown heights. Note the emphasis on the dramatic qualities of light, as well as the virtuoso and utterly fantastic mass of fluttering draperies.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecstasy_(emotion)
Fly agarics resp. fly amanitas (Amanita muscaria) in a forest near the village of Mosbach, Franconia (Bavaria)
Some background information:
Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric or fly amanita, is a mushroom and psychoactive basidiomycete fungus, one of many in the genus Amanita. Native throughout the temperate and boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere, Amanita muscaria has been unintentionally introduced to many countries in the Southern Hemisphere, generally as a symbiont with pine and birch plantations, and is now a true cosmopolitan species. It associates with various deciduous and coniferous trees.
Arguably the most iconic toadstool species, the fly agaric is a large white-gilled, white-spotted, usually red mushroom, and is one of the most recognisable and widely encountered in popular culture. Several subspecies with differing cap colour have been recognised, including the brown regalis (often considered a separate species), the yellow-orange flavivolvata, guessowii, formosa, and the pinkish persicina. Genetic studies published in 2006 and 2008 show several sharply delineated clades that may represent separate species.
Although classified as poisonous, reports of human deaths resulting from its ingestion are extremely rare. After parboiling—which weakens its toxicity and breaks down the mushroom's psychoactive substances—it is eaten in parts of Europe, Asia, and North America. Amanita muscaria is noted for its hallucinogenic properties, with its main psychoactive constituent being the compound muscimol. The mushroom was used as an intoxicant and entheogen by the peoples of Siberia, and has a religious significance in these cultures. There has been much speculation on possible traditional use of this mushroom as an intoxicant in other places such as the Middle East, Eurasia, North America, and Scandinavia.
A large, conspicuous mushroom, amanita muscaria is generally common and numerous where it grows, and is often found in groups with basidiocarps in all stages of development. Fly agaric fruiting bodies emerge from the soil looking like white eggs. After emerging from the ground, the cap is covered with numerous small white to yellow pyramid-shaped warts. These are remnants of the universal veil, a membrane that encloses the entire mushroom when it is still very young. Dissecting the mushroom at this stage will reveal a characteristic yellowish layer of skin under the veil; this is helpful in identification. As the fungus grows, the red colour appears through the broken veil and the warts become less prominent; they do not change in size, but are reduced relative to the expanding skin area. The cap changes from globose to hemispherical, and finally to plate-like and flat in mature specimens. Fully grown, the bright red cap is usually around 8 to 20 cm in diameter (3 to 8 in), although larger specimens have been found. The red colour may fade after rain and in older mushrooms.
The free gills are white, as is the spore print. The stipe is white too, 5 to 20 cm high (2.0 to 7.9 in) by 1 to 2 cm wide (0.5 to 1 in), and has the slightly brittle, fibrous texture typical of many large mushrooms. At the base is a bulb that bears universal veil remnants in the form of two to four distinct rings or ruffs. Between the basal universal veil remnants and gills are remnants of the partial veil (which covers the gills during development) in the form of a white ring. It can be quite wide and flaccid with age. There is generally no associated smell other than a mild earthiness.
Amanita muscaria is a cosmopolitan mushroom, native to conifer and deciduous woodlands throughout the temperate and boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere,[26] including higher elevations of warmer latitudes in regions such as Hindu Kush, the Mediterranean and also Central America. Fruiting occurs in summer and autumn across Europe and most of North America. This species is often found in similar locations to Boletus edulis, and may appear in fairy rings. Conveyed with pine seedlings, it has been widely transported into the southern hemisphere, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and South America.
Amanita muscaria poisoning has occurred in young children and in people who ingested the mushrooms for a hallucinogenic experience. Amanita muscaria contains several biologically active agents, at least one of which, muscimol, is known to be psychoactive. Ibotenic acid, a neurotoxin, serves as a prodrug to muscimol, with approximately 10–20% converting to muscimol after ingestion. An active dose in adults is approximately 6 mg muscimol or 30 to 60 mg ibotenic acid. This is typically about the amount found in one cap of Amanita muscaria. The amount and ratio of chemical compounds per mushroom varies widely from region to region and season to season, which can further confuse the issue. Spring and summer mushrooms have been reported to contain up to 10 times more ibotenic acid and muscimol than autumn fruitings.
A fatal dose has been calculated as 15 caps. Deaths from this fungus Amanita muscaria have been reported in historical journal articles and newspaper reports, but with modern medical treatment, fatal poisoning from ingesting this mushroom is extremely rare. Many older books list Amanita muscaria as "deadly", but this is an error that implies the mushroom is more toxic than it is. The vast majority (90% or more) of mushroom poisoning deaths are from eating the greenish to yellowish "death cap", or perhaps even one of the three white Amanita species which are known as destroying angels, Amanita virosa, Amanita bisporigera and Amanita ocreata.
Fly agarics are known for the unpredictability of their effects. Depending on habitat and the amount ingested per body weight, effects can range from nausea and twitching to drowsiness, cholinergic crisis-like effects (low blood pressure, sweating and salivation), auditory and visual distortions, mood changes, euphoria, relaxation, ataxia, and loss of equilibrium.
In cases of serious poisoning the mushroom causes delirium, somewhat similar in effect to anticholinergic poisoning, characterised by bouts of marked agitation with confusion, hallucinations, and irritability followed by periods of central nervous system depression. Seizures and coma may also occur in severe poisonings. Symptoms typically appear after around 30 to 90 minutes and peak within three hours, but certain effects can last for several days. In the majority of cases recovery is complete within 12 to 24 hours. The effect is highly variable between individuals, with similar doses potentially causing quite different reactions. Some people suffering intoxication have exhibited headaches up to ten hours afterwards. Retrograde amnesia and somnolence can result following recovery.
The wide range of psychoactive effects can be variously described as depressant, sedative-hypnotic, psychedelic, dissociative, and deliriant. Paradoxical effects such as stimulation may occur however. Perceptual phenomena such as synesthesia, macropsia, and micropsia may occur. Some users report lucid dreaming under the influence of its hypnotic effects. Unlike Psilocybe cubensis, Amanita muscaria cannot be commercially cultivated, due to its mycorrhizal relationship with the roots of pine trees.
Sheikh Muhammad Naasirudden al-Albaani
The following then, are those etiquettes:
1. Kindness toward your wife when you wish to enter into her
It is desirable, when one goes into his wife on his wedding night, to show her kindness, such as presenting her with something to drink, etc. This is found in the hadith narrated by Asmaa' bint Yazid ibn As-Sakan who said: "I beautified 'As'ishah for Allaah's Messenger, then called him to come to see her unveiled. He came, sat next to her, and brought a large cup of milk from which he drank. Then, he offered it to 'Aa'ishah, but she lowered her head and felt shy. I scolded her and said to her: "Take from the hand of the Prophet." She then took it and drank some. Then, the Prophet said to her, "Give some to your companion." At that point, I said: "O Messenger of Allaah, rather take it yourself and drink, and then give it to me from your hand." He took it, drank some, and then offered it to me. I sat down and put it on my kness. Then, I began rotating it and following it with my lips in order that I might hit the spot from which the Prophet had drunk. Then, the Prophet said about some women who were there with me: "Give them some." But, they said: "We don't want it." (ie. we are not hungry). The Prophet said: "Do not combine hunger and fibbing!" [Ahmad and al-Humaidi. Ahmad reports it with 2 isnaads - one of which supports the other, and it is supported...]"
2. Placing your hands on your wife's head and praying for her
The husband should, at the time of consummating the marriage with his wife or before that, place his hand on the front part of her head, mention the name of Allah Most High, and pray for Allah's blessings. As in the statement of the Prophet: "When any of you marries a woman ... he should hold her forelock, mention Allah Most High, and pray for His blessings saying: "O Allaah, I ask You for the good in her and the good with which You have created her, and I seek refuge in You from the evil in her and the evil with which You have created her." {Allaahumma innee as'aluka min khairiha wa khairi maa jabaltaha 'alaihi wa a'oodhubika min sharriha wa sharri maa jabaltaha 'alaihi} [Aboo Dawood and others. Al-Bukhari in "Af'aalul-'Ibaad", Aboo Dawood, Ibn Majah, al-Haakim, al-Baihaqee and Aboo Ya'laa with hasan isnaad ...]
3. The praying of husband and wife together
It is desirable for the husband and wife to pray 2 rakaat together on their wedding night. This has been narrated from the earliest generation of Muslims, as in the following 2 narrations:
First: On the authority of Abu Sa'eed Mawla Abu Asyad who said: "I got married while I was a slave. I invited a number of the companions of the Prophet, among them was Ibn Mas'ood, Abu Dharr and Hudhaifa. When the prayer was called, Abu Dharr began to step forward when the others said to him: 'No!' He said: 'Is it so?' And they said: 'Yes.' Then, I stepped forward and led the prayer though I was a slave possessed. They taught me, saying: 'When your wife comes to you, pray 2 rakaat. Then, ask Allaah for the good of that which has come to you, and seek refuge in Him from its evil. Then it is up to you and it is up to your wife.'" [Ibn Abi Shaibah and 'Abdur-Razzaaq]
Second: On the authority of Shaqeeq who said: "A man named Abu Hareez came and said: 'I have married a young girl, and I am afraid that she will despise me.' 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ood said to him: "Verily, closeness is from Allaah, and hatred is from Shaitaan, who wishes to make despicable that which Allaah has allowed. So, when your wife comes to you, tell her to pray behind you 2 rakaat.'" In another version of the same story, "'Abdullah went on to say: 'And say: 'O Allah give Your blessings on me in my wife, and to her in me. O Allaah join us together as long as You join us in good, and split us apart if You send to us that which is better.'" [Ibn Abi Shaibah and at-Tabaraani and 'Abdur-Razzaaq: Saheeh].
4. What to say at the time of making Love
When a Muslim man is about to enter his wife, he should always say first:
Bismillahi, Allahumma jannibnaa ash-shaitaan, wa jannib
ash-shaitaan maa razaqtanna
[In the name of Allah, O Allah, keep us away from the devil, and keep the
devil away from that which You may grant us (ie. offspring).]
About this, the Prophet said: "After that, if Allah decrees that they will have a child, the devil will never be able to harm that child". [al-Bukharee][1]
FOOTNOTE:
[Some Scholars say that children are disobedient to their parents usually because the parents forget/forgot to say the above duaa before having sex. Ed. of Salaf-us-Salih Page]
5. How he should come to her
It is allowed for a Muslim man to enter his wife in her vagina from any direction he wishes - from behind or from the front. About this Allaah revealed the following verse:
"Your wives are a tilth unto you; so approach your tilth
when or how ye will" [al-Baqarah 2:223]
There are also various hadith on this subject, of which I will give only 2:
On the authority of Jaabir who said: "The Jews used to say that if a man entered his wife in the vagina but from behind, their child would be cross-eyed! Then Allaah revealed the verse: "Your wives are as a tilth unto you; so approach your tilth when or how ye will;" [al-Baqarah 2:223]. The Prophet said : "From the front or the back, as long as it is in the vagina". [Al-Bukharee and Muslim]
On the authority of Ibn 'Abbaas who said: "The Ansaar, who had been polytheists, lived with the Jews, who were people of the book. The former viewed the latter as being superior to them in knowledge, and used to follow their example in many things. The people of the book would only make love to their wives from the side, this being the most modest way for the woman, and the Ansaar had followed their example in that. These people from the Quraish, on the other hand, used to expose their women in an uncomely manner. They took pleasure in them from the front, from the back, or laid out flat. When the Makkans came to al-Madeenah at the time of the Hijrah, one of them married a woman from among the Ansaar, and began doing that with her. She disapproved of it and told him: "We used only to be approached from the side, so do that or stay away from me!" This dispute became very serious until it reached the ears of the Prophet. So Allaah, revealed the verse: "Your wives are as a tilth unto you, so approach your tilth when or how ye will;" [al-Baqarah 2:223] (ie. from the front, the back, or laid out flat). What is meant here is the entry which produces children." [Aboo Dawood, al-Haakim and others: Hasan isnaad and is supported].
6. The Prohibition of Sodomy
It is forbidden for a Muslim man to enter his wife in her anus. This is understood from the verse quoted above (i.e. since a "planting ground" can only refer to a place where something might grow), and from the narrations cited above. There are also other hadith on the subject, among them:
First: On the authority of Umm Salama who said: "When the Muhajireen came to Ansaar at al-Madeenah, some of them married women from the Ansaar. The women of the Muhajireen used to lie on their faces (during intercourse), while the women of the Ansaar never did it that way. Then, one of the men of the Muhajireen wanted his wife to do that. She refused until such time as she could ask the Prophet about it. She went to the Prophet but was embarassed to ask the question, adn so Umm Salama asked him. Then the verse was revealed which says: "Your wives are as a tilth unto you; so approach your tilth when or how ye will;" [al-Baqarah 2:223]. The Prophet> said: "No! (not any way you wish) Except in one opening! (ie. the vagina)". [Ahmad, at-Tirmidhee and others : Saheeh]
Second: On the authority of Ibn 'Abbaas who said: "'Umar ibn Al-Khattaab came to the Prophet and said: 'O Messenger of Allaah, I am destroyed!' The Prophet asked: 'And what has destroyed you, O 'Umar?' 'Umar said: `I turned my mount around last night.' (An expression which means he has sexual intercourse with his wife penetrating the vagina while mounting her from the rear.) The Prophet gave him no answer and when the revelation came and the verse was revealed which says: "Your wives are as a tilth unto you; so approach your tilth when or how ye will;" [al-Baqarah 2:223] and the Prophet said: "From the front and from the back, just beware of her anus and her menses". [an-Nasaa'ee in "`Ishratun-Nisaa" with hasan isnaad, at-Tirmidhee and others].
Third: On the authority of Khuzaima ibn Thaabit who said: "A man asked the Prophet about entering women in the rear, or the entering by a man of his wife in her rear, and the Prohet answered: `Halaal (ie. permissible).' When the man turned to leave, the Prophet called him or ordered for him to be called back and said : "What did you say? In which of the 2 openings did you mean? If what you meant was from her rear and in her vagina, then yes. But if what you meant was from her rear and in her anus, then no. Verily Allaah is not ashamed of the truth - do not enter your wives in their anuses!" [as-Shaafi, al-Baihaqi and others: Saheeh]
Fourth: "Allaah does not look at one who comes to his wife in her anus". [an-Nasaa'ee: Hasan isnaad and supported in "al-'Ishrah"; at-Tirmidhee and Ibn Hibbaan].
Fifth: "Cursed are those who come to their wives in their anuses." [Aboo Dawood, Ahmad and others with hasan isnaad and is supported].
Sixth: "Whoever has sexual intercourse with a mentruating woman, or a woman in her anus, or approaches a soothsayer and believes what he is told has disbelieved in that which was revealed to Muhammad. [Aboo Dawood, at-Tirmidhee and others: Saheeh].
7. Making Wudhuu' between 2 acts with one's wife
When a Muslim man has had sexual intercourse with his wife in the legal manner and then wishes to return another time, he should first perform wudhuu', based on the statement of the Prophet : "When one of you comes to his wife and then wishes to return another time, let him perform wudhuu' between the 2 times (In another version, the same wudhuu' which he performs for prayer) for verily, it will invigorate his return."[Muslim, Ibn Abi Shaibah and others].
8. Bathing is preferable
Bathing, however, is preferable to merely making wudhuu' in such situations. Abu Raafi' narrates: "That the Prophet made the rounds of all his wives one night, bathing in the house of each one. He (i.e. the narrator) asked the Prophet: "Couldn't you have just bathed once (i.e. at the end)? The Prophet answered : "This way is purer, cleaner and better". [Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee: Hasan in "al-'Ishrah", and others].
9. The Bathing of Husband and Wife together
It is permissible for the husband and wife to bath together in the same place even though he sees her private parts, and she sees his. This is established by a number of authentic hadith, among them:
On the authority of 'Aa'ishah (radiallahu anha) who said: "I used to bathe with the Prophet from a single container of water which was placed between us such that our hands collided inside it. He used to race me such that I would say: `Leave some for me, leave some for me!' She added: `We were in a state of Janaba (i.e. the state of having slept together).'"[Al-Bukharee and Muslim].
On the authority of Mu'aawiya ibn Haida, who said: "I said: `O Messenger of Allaah, which of our nakedness is allowed, and of which must we beware?' The Prophet answered, "Guard your nakedness excpet from your wife or those whom your right hand possesses." (So it is permissible for both spouses to look at and touch the body of his or her companion even the private parts). He said: `O Messenger of Allah, what about if the relatives live together with each other?' The Prophet answered : "If you can make sure that no one ever sees your nakedness, then do so." He said: `O Messenger of Allah, what about when one is alone?' The Prophet said: "Allah is more deserving of your modesty than are the people"."[Ahmad, Abu Dawood, at-Tirmidhee and others: Saheeh].
10. Making Wudhuu' after Sex and before Sleeping
It is best for husband and wife not to sleep after having sex until they first perform wudhuu'. There are various hadith about this, among them:
First: On the authority of 'Aa'shah who said: "Whenever the Prophet wished to sleep or eat while in a state of Janaba (i.e. after having sex and before bathing), he would wash his private parts and perform wudhuu' as for prayer." [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim].
Second: On the authority of Ibn 'Umar who said: "O Messenger of Allah, should we go to sleep in a state of janaba?" The Prophet answered: "Yes, after making wudhuu." [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]. In another version: "Perform wudhuu' and wash your private parts, and then sleep." [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]. And, in another version: "Yes, you can perform wudhuu', sleep, and bathe whenever you want." [Muslim and al-Baihaqi]. And, in still another version: "Yes, and perform wudhuu' if you wish." (This last version proves that this wudhuu' is not obligatory.) [Ibn Khuzima and Ibn Hibban: Saheeh].
Third: On the authority of 'Ammaar ibn Yaasir, the Prophet said: "There are three which the angels will never approach: The corpse of a disbeliever; a man who wears perfume of women; and, one who has had sex until he performs wudhuu'." [Abu Dawood, Ahmad and others: Hasan].
11. The Ruling of this Wudhuu'
This wudhuu' is not obligatory, but is very highly and definitely commendable. This (i.e. its not being obligatory) is based on the hadith narrated by 'Umar in which he asked the Prophet: "Should we go to sleep in a state of janaba?" To which the Prophet answered: "Yes, and perform wudhuu' if you wish." [Ibn Hibbaan: Saheeh]. This is also supported by other hadith, among them a hadith narrated by 'Aa'ishah who said: "The Prophet used to sleep in a state of janaba without having touched water, until he would get up later and bathe." [Ibn Abi Shaiba, at-Tirmidhee, Abu Daawood and others: Saheeh].
In another version narrated by 'Aa'ishah , she said: ""He used to spend the night in a state of janaba until Bilal came in the morning to make the adhaan. Then, he would get up, bathe while I looked at the water dripping from his head, and go out. Then, I would hear his voice in the Fajr prayer. Then, he would remain fasting." Mutarrif said: "I said to Aamir: In the month of Ramadhaan?" He said: "Yes, in Ramadhaan and in other than Ramadhaan." [Ibn Abi Shaiba, Ahmad and others: Saheeh].
12. Making Tayammum in a state of Janaba instead of Wudhuu'
It is also permissible to make Tayammum sometimes instead of wudhuu' before sleeping. This is based on a hadith of 'Aa'ishah in which she said: "When the Prophet was in a state of janaba and wished to sleep, he used to make wudhuu' or Tayammum." [Al-Baihaqi: Hasan]
13. Bathing before Sleeping is Perferable
Bathing however, is perferable to any of the above-mentioned possibilities as is clear in the hadith of `Abullaah ibn Qais who said: "I asked 'Ai'ishah : "What did the Prophet do when in a state of janaba? Did he bathe before sleeping or sleep before bathing?" She answered: "He did all of those things. Sometimes he bathe and then slept. And sometimes he performed wudhuu' and then slept." I said: "Praise be to Allah who made things flexible."[Muslim, Ahmad and Abu `Auwaana].
14. The Prohibition of sex when She is Menstruating
It is forbidden for a Muslim man to have sexual intercourse with his wife when she is menstruating. This is clear in the following verse of the Qur'an:
"They ask thee concerning women's courses. Say: They
are a hurt and a pollution: So keep away from women in
their courses, and do not approach them until they are
clean. But when they have purified themselves, ye may
approach them in any manner, time, or place ordained for
you by Allah. For Allah loves those who turn to Him
constantly and He loves those who keep themselves pure
and clean." [Al-Baqarah, 2:222]
There are also hadith about this, among them:
First: "Whoever has sexual intercourse with a menstruating woman, or a woman in her anus, or approaches a soothsayer and believes what he is told has disbelieved in that which was revealed to Muhammad."
Second: On the authority of Anas ibn Malik, who said: "When one of their women has their period, the Jews used to put her out of the house, and they would not eat, drink, or sleep with her in the house. The Prophet was asked about this, and Allaah revealed the verse:
"They ask thee concerning women's courses. Say: They are a
hurt and a pollution: so keep away from women in their courses, ...
Then the Prophet said: "Be with them in the house, and do everything except for intercourse itself." The Jews said: "This man wants to leave nothing which we do without doing something different." Then, Asyad ibn Hudair said: "O Messenger of Allah, verily the Jews says such-and-such, shoudl we not then have sexual intercourse during menstruation?" The Prophet's face changed such that they thought that he was enraged with them, so they left. As they were coming out, they saw a gift of milk being brought to the Prophet. The Prophet then sent someone after them to give them a drink of milk, so they felt that he was not actually angry with them." [Muslim, Abu 'Auwaana and Abu Daawood].
15. The Penitence of One who Has Sex during Menses
Whoever is overcome by desire and has sexual intercourse with his wife when she is menstruating and before she becomes clean must give the value of one dinar's weight of gold or about 4.25 grams (4.2315 to be more precise), or half that amount. This is based on a hadith narrated by 'Abdullaah ibn 'Abbaas from the Prophet in relation to one who enters his wife while she is on her period as follows: "Let him give one dinar in charity, or one half dinar." [At-Tirmidhee, Abu Dawood, At-Tabaraani and others: Saheeh].
16. What is Permissible when She is on her Periods
It is allowed for him to enjoy pleasure with his wife in any way except for her private parts when she is on her period. There are several hadiths about this:
First: "and do everything except intercourse itself." [Muslim, Abu 'Auwaana and Aboo Daawood]
Second: On the authority of 'Aa'ishah who said: "When we were on our periods, the Prophet used to order us to put on a waist cloth that her husband can then lie with her." One time she said: "... her husband can then fondle and caress her." [al-Bukhaaree, Muslims and others].
Third: On the authority of one of the wives of the Prophet who said: "When the Prophet wanted something from one of his wives who was on her period, he put a cloth over her private parts, and then did whatever he wanted." [Abo Daawood: Saheeh]
17. When is it Allowed to resume Sexual Activity after Menses?
When she becomes clean of any menstrual blood, and the flow stops completely, it is allowed for them to resume sexual activity after she washes the place where the blood had been, or performs wudhuu', or takes a complete bath. Whichever of these three alternatives she does makes it allowed for them to resume sexual activity, based on Allaah's statement in the Qur'an:
"But when they have purified themselves, ye may
approach them in any manner, time, or place ordained for you
by Allah. For Allah loves those who turn to Him
constantly and He loves those who keep themselves pure and clean."
[Al-Baqarah 2:222]
This is the position of Ibn Hazm, 'Ataa, Qatadah, al-Awzaa'ee and Daawud az-Zaahiree and of Mujaahid: as Ibn Hazm says: "All three of these are a purification - so whichever of them she uses after the cessation of her periods, then she is lawful for her husband."
The same term is used to mean washing the private parts in the Aayah revealed concerning the people of Qubaa:
"In it are men who love to be purified; and Allah loves
those who make themselves pure." [at-Tawbah 9:108]
There is nothing here in the Aayah however, or in the Sunnah, to restrict the Aayah in question to any of the three meanings - and to do so requires a further proof.
18. The Lawfulness of Coitus Interruptus
(Withdrawl of the penis from the vagina at the time of ejaculation with the purpose of avoiding impregnation. This can be done only with the permission of one's wife).
It is allowed for a Muslim man to practise coitus interruptus with his wife. There are several hadith about this:
First: On the authority of Jaabir who said: "We were practising coitus interruptus, and the Qur'an was being revealed." [al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]. In another version, he said: "We used to practise coitus interruptus in the lifetime of the Prophet. This reached the Prophet, and he did not prohibit us from doing it." [Muslim, an-Nasaa'ee and at-Tirmidhee].
Second: On the authority of Abu Sa'eed al-Khudhriy, who said: "A man came to the Prophet and said: "I have a young girl (right-hand possession), and I practise coitus interruptus with her. I want that which men want, but the Jews claim that coitus interruptus is minor infanticide." The Prophet said: "The Jews have lied, the Jews have lied. If Allaah wished to create a child, you would not be able to prevent it." [An-Naasaa'ee in al-'Ishrah: Abu Dawood and others: Saheeh].
Third: On the authority of Jaabir, a man came to the Prophet and said: "I have a slave girl who serves us and waters our date trees. Sometimes I go to her, but I dislike that she should become pregnant by me". The Prophet said: "use coitus interruptus if you like, but whatever has been ordained for her will come." After some time, the man again came to the Prophet and said: "She has become pregnant!" The Prophettold him: "I told you that whatever has been ordained for her will come." [Muslim, Abu Dawood and others].
19. It is Preferrable not to Practice Coitus Interruptus.
Not practising coitus interruptus is preferable for a number of reasons:
First: It is harmful for the woman, since it reduces her pleasure by cutting it short. If she agrees to it, it still contains the following negetive points.
Second: It negates part of the purpose of marriage which is enlarging the Muslim nation through offspring, as in the statement of the Prophet: "Marry the loving and fertile, for I will compete with the other Prophets with the number of my followers." [Abu Dawood, an-Nasaa'ee and others: Saheeh]. This is why the Prophet once referred to it as "minor infanticide" (and not because it is forbidden as infanticide is forbidden) when asked about it saying: "That is minor infanticide". [Muslim, Ahmad and al-Baihaqi]. For this was preferable in the hadith narrated by Abu Sa'eed al-Khudhriy saying: "Coitus Interruptus was mentioned in the presence of the Prophet and he said: "Why would one of you do that? (note he did not say "let none of you do that") Allah is the Creator of every single soul." [Muslim]. In another version, he said: "You act and you act. There are no people destined to be from now until the day of Qiyama but that all of them will be." [Muslim]
20. What the two Spouses should Intend with their Marriage
Both spouses should enter into marriage with the following intentions: freeing themselves of unfulfilled sexual desires, and protecting themselves from falling into that which Allaah has forbidden (i.e. adultery and fornication). What's more, a reward as the reward for sadaqa (voluntary giving of charity) is recorded for them every time they have sex. This is based on the following hadith of the Prohpet narrated by Abu Dharr: "Some of the companions of the Prophet said to him: 'O Messenger of Allaah, the affluent among us have taken the rewards (of the hereafter)! They pray as we pray, fast as we fast, and then they give charity from the surplus of their wealth!" The Prophet said: "Did Allaah not make for you that from which you can give sadaqa? Verily for every time you say Subhannallah (Exalted is Allah) there is a sadaqa, and for every time you say Allahuakbar (Allah is Most Great) there is a sadaqa, and for every time you say Al-Hamdulillah (Praise is to Allah) there is sadaqa, and in every act of enjoining what is right there is sadaqa, and in every act of forbidding what is wrong there is a sadaqa, and in your sexual relations there is a sadaqa." The Companions said: "O Messenger of Allaah , is there a reward for one of us when he satisfies his sexual desire?" The Prophet said: "Don't you see, if he had satisfied it with the forbidden, would there not have been a sin upon him?" They said: "Why, yes! He said: "In the same way, when he satisfies it with that which is lawful, there is for him in that a reward." [Muslim, an-Nasaa'ee in al-'Ishrah, and Ahamd].
21. What he should do the Morning After His Wedding Night
It is desireable for the husband to go to his relatives who came to visit him in his house, on the following morning, to give them greetings and pray for them. It is also desireable for them to do likewise for him, as in the following hadith narrated by Anas : "The Messenger of Allaah gave a feast on the morning of his wedding night with Zainab, at which he fed the Muslims to satisfaction on bread and meat. Then, he went out to the Mothers of the Believers (i.e. to his other wives), gave them greetings and prayed for them, which they returned in kind. This is the way he used to do on the morning after a wedding night." [Ibn Sa'd and an-Nasaa'ee: Saheeh].
22. The House must have a Place for Bathing
The married couple must have a place to bathe in their house, and the husband must not allow his wife to go to the public bath houses. This is forbidden, and there are various hadith about it, among them:
First: On the authority of Jaabir who said: "The Prophet said: "Whoever believes in Allaah and the Last Day, let him not allow his wife to go to the Public baths. Whoever believes in Allaah and the Last Day, let him not go to the baths except with a waist-cloth. And whoever believes in Allaah and the Last Day, let him never sit at a table at which intoxicants are being circulated." [Al-Haakim, at-Tirmidhee and others: Saheeh]
Second: On the authority of Umm ad-Dardaa' who said: "I came out of the public bath and I met Allaah's Messenger who said to me: 'From where have you come O Umm Dardaa'?' I said: 'From the baths'. Then he said: "By the One in whose hand is my soul, every woman who removes her clothes anywhere except the house of one of her mothers has torn down all that veils her before ar-Rahman." [Ahmad : Saheeh]
Third: On the authority of Abu al-Maleeh who said: "Some women from Ash-Shaam entered upon 'Aa'ishah and said: "Where are you from?" The women answered: "We are of the people of Ash-Shaam (the area of present-day Syria)." 'Aa'ishah said: "Are you perhaps from that district which allows its women to enter the public baths?" The said: "Yes". She said: "As for me, I heard the Messenger of Allaah say: "Every woman who removes her clothes other than in her house has torn down all veils of modesty between herself and Allaah." [at-Tirmidhee, Abu Dawood and others: Saheeh]
23. The Prohibition of Spreading Bedroom Secrets
It is forbidden for either the husband or the wife to spread any of the secrets of their bedroom to anyone outside. The following two hadith are about this:
First: "Verily among the worst people before Allaah on the Day of Judgement is a man who approaches his wife sexually and she responds and then he spreads her secrets." [Muslim, Ibn Abi Shaiba, Ahmad and others].
Second: "On the authority of Asmaa bint Yazid who narrated "that she was once in the presence of the Prophet and there were both men and women sitting. The Prophet then said: "Perhaps a man might discuss what he does with his wife, or perhaps a woman might inform someone what she did with her husband?" The people were silent. Then I said: "O, Yes! O Messenger of Allaah verily both the women and men do that." Then the Prophet said: "Do not do that. It is like a male shaitaan who meets a female shaitaan along the way, and has sex with her while the people look on!" [Ahmad: Hasan or Saheeh due to supports]
24. The Obligation of a Wedding Feast
The husband must sponsor a feast after the consummation of the marriage. This is based on the order of the Prophet to 'Abur-Rahman ibn 'Auf to do so, and on the hadith narrated by Buraida ibn At-Haseeb, who said: "When 'Ali sought the hand of Faatimah (the Prophet's daughter) in marraige, he said that the Prophet said: "A wedding (and in another version "a bridegroom") must have a feast." The narrator said: "Sa'ad said: '(a feast) of a sheep.' Someone else said: 'Of such and such a quantity of corn." [Ahmad and at-Tabaraani: Its isnaad is acceptable as al-Haafiz Ibn Hajr says in Fathul-Baaree: 9/188]
25. The Sunnah of the Wedding Feast
The following should be observed with regard to the wedding banquet:
First: It should be held ('aqb - Fathul Baaree: 9/242-244) three days after the first wedding night, since this is the tradition of the Prophet which has reached us. On the authority of Anas who said: "The Prophet entered upon his wife and sent me to invite some men for food." [al-Bukhaaree and al-Baihaqi]. Also on the authority of Anas, he said: "The Prophet married Safiya, and her freedom was her dowry. He gave the feast for three days." [Abu Ya'laa and others: Hasan].
Second: One should invite the righteous to his banquet whether they be rich or poor. The Prophet said: "Do not be the friend of any except believers, and have only the pious eat your food." [Abu Dawood, at-Tirmidhee and others: Saheeh].
Third: If one is able, he should have a feast of one or more sheep. Based on the following hadith, Anas said: "Abdur-Rahmaan came to al-Madeenah, and the Prophet assigned Sa'ad ibn Ar-Rabee' al-Ansaariy as his brother. Sa'ad took him to his house, called for food, and they both ate. The Sa'ad said: "O my brother, I am the wealthiest of the people of al-Madeenah (in another version: "... of the Ansaar"), so look to half of my property and take it (in another version: "... and I will divide my garden in half"). Also, I have two wives (and you, my brother in Allaah, have no wife), so look to which of mine pleases you more, so I can divorce her for you. Then upon the completion of the prescribed waiting period, you may marry her." 'Abdur-Rahmaan said: "No, by Allaah, may Allah bless you in your family and your property. Show me the way to the market-place."And so they showed him the way to the market-place and he went there. He bought and he sold and he made a profit. In the evening , he came back to the people of his house with some dried milk for cooking and some ghee. After that some time elapsed, until he appeared one day with traces of saffron on his garments. The Prophet said to him: "What is this?" He said: "O Messenger of Allaah, I have married a woman among the Ansaar." The Prophet answered: "What did you give her for her dowry?" He answered: "The weight of five dirhams in gold." Then, the Prophet said: "May Allaah bless you, give a feast if only with one sheep." 'Abdur-Rahmaan said: "I have seen myself in such a state that if I were to lift a stone, I would expect to find some gold or silver under it." Anas said: "I saw after his death that each of his wives inherited one hundred thousand Dinars." [Al-Bukhaaree, an-Nasaa'ee and others].
Also on the authority of Anas he said: "I never saw the Prophet sponsor such a wedding feast as the one he gave for Zainab. He slaughtered a sheep and fed everyone meat and bread until they ate no more." [Al-Bukhaaree, Muslim and others].
26. Wedding Feasts can be give with Other than Meat
It is allowed to give the wedding banquet with any food which is available and affordable, even if that does not include meat. This is based on the following hadith narrated by Anas: "The Prophet stayed between Khaibar and al-Madeenah for three days during which he had entered with his wife Safiya . Then I invited the Muslims to his Wedding feast. There was neither meat nor bread at his feast. Rather, leather eating mats were brought out and on them were placed dates, dried milk, and clarified butter. The people ate their fill." [Al-Bukhaaree, Muslim and others].
27. Participation of the Wealthy in the Feast with their Wealth
It is commendable for the wealthy to help in the preparations for the wedding feast based on the hadith narrated by Anas about the Prophet's marriage to Safiya: "Then, when we were on the road, Umm Sulaim prepared her (Safiya) for him (the Prophet and brought her to him at night, and so the the Prophet awoke the next morning a new bridgegroom. Then he said: "Whoever has something, let him bring it." (In another version, he said "Whoever has an excess of provisions, let him bring it.") Anas continues: "And so the leather eating mats were spread out and one man would bring dried milk, another dates and another clarified butter and so they made Hais (hais is a mixture of the above three things). The people then ate of this hais and drank from pools of rainwater which were nearby, and that was the wedding feast of the Prophet." [Al-Bukhaaree, Muslims and others].
location: North America, Europe
edibility: Deadly
fungus colour: Red or redish or pink
normal size: 5-15cm
cap type: Convex to shield shaped
stem type: Ring on stem, Volva on stem
spore colour: White, cream or yellowish
habitat: Grows in woods, Grows on the ground
Amanita muscaria (L. ex Fr.) Hooker Fly Agaric, Amanite tue-mouches, Fausse Oronge Roter Fliegenpilz Cap 8–20cm across, globose or hemispherical at first then flattening, bright scarlet covered with distinctive white pyramidal warts which may be washed off by rain leaving the cap almost smooth and the colour fades. Stem 80–180×10–20mm, white, often covered in shaggy volval remnants as is the bulbous base, the white membranous ring attached to the stem apex sometimes becoming flushed yellow from the pigment washed off the cap. Flesh white, tinged red or yellow below the cap cuticle, Taste pleasant, smell faint. Gills free, white. Spore print white. Spores broadly ovate, nonamyloid, 9.5–10.5×7–8µ. Habitat usually with birch trees, Season late summer to late autumn. Common. Deadly poisonous. It contains many different toxins see below. Distribution, America and Europe.
This is one of the easiest species to recognize and describe, and consequently its properties have been well documented for centuries. The common name Fly Agaric comes from the practice of breaking the cap into platefuls of milk, used since medieval times to stupefy flies. It is a strong hallucinogen and intoxicant and was used as such by the Lapps. In such cases the cap is dried and swallowed without chewing. The symptoms begin twenty minutes to two hours after ingestion. The central nervous system is affected and the muscles of the intoxicated person start to pull and twitch convulsively, followed by dizzines and a death-like sleep. During this stage the mushrooms are often vomited but nevertheless the drunkenness and stupor continue. While in this state of stupor, the person experiences vivid visions and on waking is usually filled with elation and is physically very active. This is due to the nerves being highly stimulated, the slightest effort of will producing exaggerated physical effects, e.g. the intoxicated person will make a gigantic leap to clear the smallest obstacle. The Lapps may have picked up the habit of eating the Fly Agaric through observing the effects of the fungus on reindeer, which are similarly affected. Indeed, they like it so much that all one has to do to round up a wandering herd is to scatter pieces of Fly Agaric on the ground. Another observation the Lapps made from the reindeer was that the intoxicating compounds in the fungus can be recycled by consuming the urine of an intoxicated person. The effects of consuming this species are exceedingly unpredictable; some people remain unaffected while others have similar, or different, symptoms to those above, and at least one death is attributed to A. muscaria. This unpredictability is due to the fungus containing different amounts of the toxins ibotenic acid and muscimol according to season, method of cooking and ingestion, as well as the subject’s state of mind. Ibotenic acid is mostly concentrated in the coloured skin of the cap. This very unstable compound rapidly degrades on drying to form muscimol which is five to ten times more potent. Traditionally, where A. muscaria is used as an inebriant, it is the dried cap which is taken.
info by Roger Phillips:
Pirianda..
Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric or fly amanita, is a mushroom and psychoactive basidiomycete fungus, one of many in the genus Amanita. Native throughout the temperate and boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere, Amanita muscaria has been unintentionally introduced to many countries in the Southern Hemisphere, generally as a symbiont with pine and birch plantations, and is now a true cosmopolitan species. It associates with various deciduous and coniferous trees..
The quintessential toadstool, it is a large white-gilled, white-spotted, usually red mushroom, one of the most recognisable and widely encountered in popular culture. .
Although classified as poisonous, reports of human deaths resulting from its ingestion are extremely rare. After parboiling—which weakens its toxicity and breaks down the mushroom's psychoactive substances—it is eaten in parts of Europe, Asia, and North America. Amanita muscaria is noted for its hallucinogenic properties, with its main psychoactive constituent being the compound muscimol. The mushroom was used as an intoxicant and entheogen by the peoples of Siberia, and has a religious significance in these cultures. There has been much speculation on possible traditional use of this mushroom as an intoxicant in other places such as the Middle East, Eurasia, North America, and Scandinavia. The American banker and amateur ethnomycologist R. Gordon Wasson proposed that the fly agaric was the soma of the ancient Rig Veda texts of India; since its introduction in 1968, this theory has gained followers and detractors in anthropological and religious literature..
Extracts from Wikepedia
[24/52] - With alternate in comment
Here's to the once innocent. The children, the women, the people. The silent screams, stripped of dignity, forgotten humanity. Here's to the massacres, the animal instincts, the wars, the daggers. For those in need, poverty, hunger, pain. The darkness forbearing, never ending. Cold. For the blood and tears, the weakness, the fears, the gasping breathes of air, calling. For the never arriving aid, the shattered hopes, broken glass. Here's to the rapes, the bright lights, the intoxicants, the escapism. Ecstasy. Suicide, torn, cuts and scrapes and broken bones. Here's to feeling alone, here's to the once innocent.
Press L
Hydrangea Colors Are Determined By The Acidity Of The Soil
Hydrangea flower color changes based on the pH in soil. As the graph depicts, soil with a pH of 5.5 or lower will produce blue flowers, a pH of 6.5 or higher will produce pink hydrangeas, and soil in between 5.5 and 6.5 will have purple hydrangeas.
Hydrangea flower color can change based on the pH in soil. As the graph depicts, soil with a pH of 5.5 or lower will produce blue flowers, a pH of 6.5 or higher will produce pink hydrangeas, and soil in between 5.5 and 6.5 will have purple hydrangeas.
The flowers on a hydrangea shrub can change from blue to pink or from pink to blue from one season to the next depending on the acidity level of the soil.[33] Adding organic materials such as coffee grounds and citrus peel will increase acidity and turn hydrangea flowers blue.[34]
White hydrangeas cannot be color-manipulated by soil pH because they do not produce pigment for color. In other words, while the hue of the inflorescence is variable dependent upon cultural factors, the color saturation is genetically predetermined.
In most species, the flowers are white. In some, however, (notably H. macrophylla), they can be blue, red, or purple, with color saturation levels ranging from the palest of pinks, lavenders & powder blues, to deep, rich purples, reds, and royal blues. In these species, floral color change occurs due to the availability of aluminium ions, a variable which itself depends upon the soil pH.[16][17] For H. macrophylla and H. serrata cultivars, the flower color can be determined by the relative acidity of the soil: an acidic soil (pH below 7), will have available aluminium ions and typically produce flowers that are blue to purple,[18] whereas an alkaline soil (pH above 7) will tie up aluminium ions and result in pink or red flowers. This is caused by a color change of the flower pigments in the presence of aluminium ions which can be taken up into hyperaccumulating plants.[19]
Hydrangeas are A a genus of flowering plants.
Several terms redirect here. For other uses, see Hydrangea (disambiguation) and Hortensia (disambiguation).
Hydrangea (/haɪˈdreɪndʒə/[3][4] or /haɪˈdreɪndʒiə/[5]) is a genus of more than 70 species of flowering plants native to Asia and the Americas. Hydrangea is also used as the common name for the genus; some (particularly H. macrophylla) are also often called hortensia.[6] The genus was first described from Virginia in North America,[7] but by far the greatest species diversity is in eastern Asia, notably China, Korea, and Japan. Most are shrubs 1–3 m (3 ft 3 in – 9 ft 10 in) tall, but some are small trees, and others lianas reaching up to 30 m (100 ft) by climbing up trees. They can be either deciduous or evergreen, though the widely cultivated temperate species are all deciduous.[8]
Quick Facts Scientific classification, Type species ...
The flowers of many hydrangeas act as natural pH indicators, producing blue flowers when the soil is acidic and pink ones when the soil is alkaline.[9]
Etymology
Hydrangea is derived from Greek and means 'water vessel' (from ὕδωρ húdōr "water" + ἄγγος ángos or ἀγγεῖον angeîon "vessel"),[10][11][12] in reference to the shape of its seed capsules.[13] The earlier name, Hortensia, is a Latinised version of the French given name Hortense, honoring the French astronomer and mathematician Nicole-Reine Hortense Lepaute.[14] Philibert Commerson attempted to name the flower Lepautia or Peautia after Lepaute. However, the flower's accepted name later became Hortensia. This led to people believing Lepaute's name was Hortense, but the Larousse remarks that this is erroneous, and that the name probably came from hortus, garden.[15]
Life cycle
Hydrangea flowers are produced from early spring to late autumn; they grow in flowerheads (corymbs or panicles) most often at the ends of the stems. Typically the flowerheads contain two types of flowers: small non-showy fertile flowers in the center or interior of the flowerhead, and large, sterile showy flowers with large colorful sepals (tepals). These showy flowers are often extended in a ring, or to the exterior of the small flowers. Plants in wild populations typically have few to none of the showy flowers, while cultivated hydrangeas have been bred and selected to have more of the larger type flowers.
There are two flower arrangements in hydrangeas with corymb style inflorescences, which includes the commonly grown "bigleaf hydrangea"—Hydrangea macrophylla. Mophead flowers are large round flowerheads resembling pom-poms or, as the name implies, the head of a mop. In contrast, lacecap flowers bear round, flat flowerheads with a center core of subdued, small flowers surrounded by outer rings of larger flowers having showy sepals or tepals. The flowers of some rhododendrons and viburnums can appear, at first glance, similar to those of some hydrangeas.
Colors and soil acidity
Hydrangea flower color changes based on the pH in soil. As the graph depicts, soil with a pH of 5.5 or lower will produce blue flowers, a pH of 6.5 or higher will produce pink hydrangeas, and soil in between 5.5 and 6.5 will have purple hydrangeas.
Hydrangea flower color can change based on the pH in soil. As the graph depicts, soil with a pH of 5.5 or lower will produce blue flowers, a pH of 6.5 or higher will produce pink hydrangeas, and soil in between 5.5 and 6.5 will have purple hydrangeas.
The flowers on a hydrangea shrub can change from blue to pink or from pink to blue from one season to the next depending on the acidity level of the soil.[33] Adding organic materials such as coffee grounds and citrus peel will increase acidity and turn hydrangea flowers blue.[34]
White hydrangeas cannot be color-manipulated by soil pH because they do not produce pigment for color. In other words, while the hue of the inflorescence is variable dependent upon cultural factors, the color saturation is genetically predetermined.
In most species, the flowers are white. In some, however, (notably H. macrophylla), they can be blue, red, or purple, with color saturation levels ranging from the palest of pinks, lavenders & powder blues, to deep, rich purples, reds, and royal blues. In these species, floral color change occurs due to the availability of aluminium ions, a variable which itself depends upon the soil pH.[16][17] For H. macrophylla and H. serrata cultivars, the flower color can be determined by the relative acidity of the soil: an acidic soil (pH below 7), will have available aluminium ions and typically produce flowers that are blue to purple,[18] whereas an alkaline soil (pH above 7) will tie up aluminium ions and result in pink or red flowers. This is caused by a color change of the flower pigments in the presence of aluminium ions which can be taken up into hyperaccumulating plants.[19]
Species
Hydrangea paniculata
97 species are accepted.[20]
Hydrangea acuminata Siebold & Zucc.
Hydrangea albostellata Samain, Najarro & E.Martínez
Hydrangea alternifolia Siebold
Hydrangea × amagiana Makino
Hydrangea amamiohsimensis (Koidz.) Y.De Smet & Granados
Hydrangea ampla (Chun) Y.De Smet & Granados
Hydrangea anomala D.Don – (climbing hydrangea) Himalaya, southwest China
Hydrangea arborescens L. – (smooth hydrangea) eastern North America
Hydrangea arguta (Gaudich.) Y.De Smet & Granados
Hydrangea aspera Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don – China, Himalaya
Hydrangea asterolasia Diels
Hydrangea barbara (L.) Bernd Schulz
Hydrangea bifida (Maxim.) Y.De Smet & Granados
Hydrangea breedlovei Samain, Najarro & E.Martínez
Hydrangea bretschneideri Dippel – China
Hydrangea caerulea (Stapf) Y.De Smet & Granados
Hydrangea carroniae Samain & E.Martínez
Hydrangea chungii Rehder – China
Hydrangea cinerea Small – (ashy hydrangea) eastern United States
Hydrangea coenobialis Chun – China
Hydrangea corylifolia (Chun) Y.De Smet & Granados
Hydrangea crassa (Hand.-Mazz.) Y.De Smet & Granados
Hydrangea daimingshanensis (Y.C.Wu) Y.De Smet & Granados
Hydrangea davidii Franch. – China
Hydrangea densifolia (C.F.Wei) Y.De Smet & Granados
Hydrangea diplostemona (Donn.Sm.) Standl.
Hydrangea fauriei (Hayata) Y.De Smet & Granados
Hydrangea febrifuga (Lour.) Y.De Smet & Granados (syn. Dichroa febrifuga) – central & southern China to Malesia and New Guinea
Hydrangea glaucescens (Rehder) Y.De Smet & Granados – China, Myanmar and Vietnam
Hydrangea gracilis W.T.Wang & M.X.Nie – China
Hydrangea heteromalla D.Don – Himalaya, west and north China
Hydrangea hirsuta (Gagnep.) Y.De Smet & Granados
Hydrangea hirta (Thunb.) Siebold – Japan
Hydrangea hwangii J.M.H.Shaw
Hydrangea hydrangeoides (Siebold & Zucc.) Bernd Schulz – Ulleungdo, Japan, Kurils
Hydrangea hypoglauca Rehder – China
Hydrangea integrifolia Hayata – China
Hydrangea involucrata Siebold – Japan, Taiwan
Hydrangea jelskii Szyszył. – Andes
Hydrangea kawagoeana Koidz.
Hydrangea kwangsiensis Hu – China
Hydrangea kwangtungensis Merr. – China
Hydrangea lalashanensis S.S.Ying
Hydrangea lingii G.Hoo – China
Hydrangea linkweiensis Chun – China
Hydrangea liukiuensis Nakai
Hydrangea lobbii Maxim.
Hydrangea longifolia Hayata – China
Hydrangea longipes Franch. – western China
Hydrangea luteovenosa Koidz.
Hydrangea macrocarpa Hand.-Mazz. – China
Hydrangea macrophylla (Thunb.) Ser. – (bigleaf hydrangea) southeast Japan, southern China
Hydrangea mangshanensis C.F.Wei – China
Hydrangea marunoi Tagane & S.Fujii
Hydrangea mathewsii Briq.
Hydrangea megalocarpa (Chun) J.M.H.Shaw
Hydrangea minamitanii (H.Ohba) Yahara
Hydrangea × mizushimarum H.Ohba
Hydrangea moellendorffii Hance
Hydrangea mollissima (Merr.) Y.De Smet & Granados
Hydrangea nahaensis Samain & E.Martínez
Hydrangea nebulicola Nevling & Gómez Pompa
Hydrangea obtusifolia (Hu) Y.De Smet & Granados
Hydrangea ofeliae Sodusta & Lumawag
Hydrangea otontepecensis Samain & E.Martínez
Hydrangea paniculata Siebold – (panicled hydrangea) eastern China, Japan, Korea, Sakhalin
Hydrangea peruviana Moric. ex Ser. – Costa Rica and Panama, Andes
Hydrangea petiolaris Siebold & Zucc. – (climbing hydrangea) Japan, Korea, Sakhalin
Hydrangea pingtungensis S.S.Ying
Hydrangea platyarguta Y.De Smet & Samain
Hydrangea pottingeri Prain (synonym Hydrangea chinensis Maxim.) – Arunachal Pradesh, Myanmar, southeastern China, and Taiwan
Hydrangea preslii Briq.
Hydrangea quercifolia W.Bartram – (oakleaf hydrangea) southeast United States
Hydrangea radiata Walter – (silverleaf hydrangea) southeast United States
Hydrangea robusta Hook.f. & Thomson – China, Himalaya
Hydrangea sargentiana Rehder – western China
Hydrangea scandens (L.f.) Ser. – southern Japan south to the Philippines
Hydrangea serrata (Thunb.) Ser. – Japan, Korea
Hydrangea serratifolia (Thunb.) Ser. – Chile, western Argentina
Hydrangea sikokiana Maxim.
Hydrangea sousae Samain, Najarro & E.Martínez
Hydrangea steyermarkii Standl.
Hydrangea strigosa Rehder – China
Hydrangea stylosa Hook.f. & Thomson – China
Hydrangea taiwaniana Y.C.Liu & F.Y.Lu
Hydrangea tapalapensis Samain, Najarro & E.Martínez
Hydrangea tarapotensis Briq. – Andes
Hydrangea tomentella (Hand.-Mazz.) Y.De Smet & Granados
Hydrangea × versicolor (Fortune) J.M.H.Shaw
Hydrangea viburnoides (Hook.f. & Thomson) Y.De Smet & Granados
Hydrangea wallichii J.M.H.Shaw
Hydrangea xanthoneura Diels – China
Hydrangea xinfeniae W.B.Ju & J.Ru
Hydrangea yaoshanensis (Y.C.Wu) Y.De Smet & Granados
Hydrangea yayeyamensis Koidz.
Hydrangea × ytiensis (J.M.H.Shaw) J.M.H.Shaw
Hydrangea yunnanensis Rehder
Hydrangea zhewanensis P.S.Hsu & X.P.Zhang – China
Fossil record
Hydrangea knowltoni
†Hydrangea alaskana is a fossil species recovered from Paleogene strata at Jaw Mountain Alaska.[21] †Hydrangea knowltoni has been described from leaves and flowers recovered from the Miocene Langhian Latah Formation of the inland Pacific Northwest United states. The related Miocene species †Hydrangea bendirei is known to from the Mascall Formation in Oregon, and †Hydrangea reticulata is documented from the Weaverville Formation in California.[22][23]
Four fossil seeds of †Hydrangea polonica have been extracted from borehole samples of the Middle Miocene fresh water deposits in Nowy Sacz Basin, West Carpathians, Poland.[24]
Cultivation and uses
Hydrangeas are popular ornamental plants, grown for their large flowerheads, with Hydrangea macrophylla being by far the most widely grown. It has over 600 named cultivars, many selected to have only large sterile flowers in the flowerheads. Hydrangea macrophylla, also known as bigleaf hydrangea, can be broken up into two main categories; mophead hydrangea and lacecap hydrangea. Some are best pruned on an annual basis when the new leaf buds begin to appear. If not pruned regularly, the bush will become very "leggy", growing upwards until the weight of the stems is greater than their strength, at which point the stems will sag down to the ground and possibly break. Other species only flower on "old wood". Thus, new wood resulting from pruning will not produce flowers until the following season.
The following cultivars and species have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit under the synonym Schizophragma:[25]
S. hydrangeoides var. concolor 'Moonlight'[26]
S. hydrangeoides var. hydrangeoides 'Roseum'[27]
S. integrifolium[28]
Hydrangea root and rhizome are indicated for the treatment of conditions of the urinary tract in the Physicians' Desk Reference for Herbal Medicine and may have diuretic properties.[29] Hydrangeas are moderately toxic if eaten, with all parts of the plant containing cyanogenic glycosides.[30] Hydrangea paniculata is reportedly sometimes smoked as an intoxicant, despite the danger of illness and/or death due to the cyanide.[31][32]
The flowers on a hydrangea shrub can change from blue to pink or from pink to blue from one season to the next depending on the acidity level of the soil.[33] Adding organic materials such as coffee grounds and citrus peel will increase acidity and turn hydrangea flowers blue.[34]
A popular pink hydrangea called Vanilla Strawberry has been named "Top Plant" by the American Nursery and Landscape Association.
A hybrid "Runaway Bride Snow White", from Japan, won Plant of the Year at the 2018 RHS Chelsea Flower Show.[35]
In culture
In Japan, ama-cha (甘茶), meaning sweet tea, is another herbal tea made from Hydrangea serrata, whose leaves contain a substance that develops a sweet taste (phyllodulcin). For the fullest taste, fresh leaves are crumpled, steamed, and dried, yielding dark brown tea leaves. Ama-cha is mainly used for kan-butsu-e (the Buddha bathing ceremony) on April 8 every year—the day thought to be Buddha's birthday in Japan. During the ceremony, ama-cha is poured over a statue of Buddha and served to people in attendance. A legend has it that on the day Buddha was born, nine dragons poured Amrita over him; ama-cha is substituted for Amrita in Japan.
In Korean tea, Hydrangea serrata is used for an herbal tea called sugukcha (수국차) or isulcha (이슬차).
The pink hydrangea has risen in popularity all over the world, especially in Asia. The given meaning of pink hydrangeas is popularly tied to the phrase "you are the beat of my heart," as described by the celebrated Korean florist Tan Jun Yong, who was quoted saying, "The light delicate blush of the petals reminds me of a beating heart, while the size could only match the heart of the sender!"[36]
Hydrangea quercifolia was declared the official state wildflower of the U.S. state of Alabama in 1999.[37]
Hydrangeas were used by the Cherokee people of what is now the Southern U.S. as a mild diuretic and cathartic; it was considered a valuable remedy for stone and gravel in the bladder.[38]
Extrafloral nectaries were reported on hydrangea species by Zimmerman 1932, but Elias 1983 regards this as "doubtful".[39]
Mahua-"The tree of life of tribal India":
The trees produce pale yellow fleshy flowers in the month of March-April. The sap of Mahua flowers is a potent intoxicant in the region and is used to make famous country liquor, simply called Mahua, or Mahua wine. The refined liquor looks crystal clear having moderate concentration of alcohol and having a sweet intoxicating fragrance. Flowers naturally drop from the trees and settle on the forest floors. The local people collect and subsequently process for beverages. In the pick season forest animals, especially elephants invade the forests and tribal villages in search of flowers and country liquor. This is the season the village men remains alert lest their crops are not destroyed by elephants and wild boars.
Mahua tree has immense medicinal values, and Ayurveda has declared it as the wonder gift of nature for treating many ailments, especially flu and epilepsy. It is an excellent fodder for cattle.
[ www.myupchar.com/en/herbs/benefits-of-mahua ]
Baroghutu- A tribal hamlet at Mukutmanipur, Bankura district, India.
Mukutmanipur's undulating forested landscape marked by the vibrant colors of spring is refreshing and invigorating for body and mind. It is marked by the prominent hillock about 200 metres high, locally named "Baroghutu" (Baro- twelve, ghutu-/stones/hill). The tribal (mostly santals) hamlets of Baroghutu, Jambeda, Kumorbahal, Dhagora and Mukutmanipur encircle this hillock. With a landscape that seems naturally designed for adventure, Mukutmanipur offers opportunities in rock climbing, trekking and a variety of water sports.
This one started with the wonderful find of the profile centerpiece. The young man or woman pictured has a very dreamy quality sparking the intoxicant-oriented title. The very vintage watch face was an obvious choice and the steampunk hair embellishments soon followed. The clock hand has been riveted on with some play so that it can dangle a bit. The beautifully engraved watch safety pinion seemed the perfect joining point between the centerpiece and a gorgeous vintage double-link chain. Centerpiece measures 4 1/2" from pinion to tip of clock hand and it is 2 1/2" wide. The vintage chain is 24" in length. I am a trained, if somewhat dreamy, silversmith and have assembled this piece with care for many year of pleasurable adornment. Let'em eat steam!
Kankrajhor
Kankrajhor is a beautiful tourist destination of Jangalmahal Circuit in West Bengal, India. It is situated in the tropical, hilly forestlands of Jhargram district. It comprises 9000 hectares of hardwood forests. The wealth of trees includes Kusum (Ceylon oak), Shaal (Shorea robusta), Segun (Tectona grandis), Mahua (Indian Butter tree, or honey tree- Madhuca longifolia ), Piyal (almondette or calumpong nut, ) and Akashmani (Acacia auriculiformis), as named in Bengali. Its tribal villages at the edge of forests and ethnic people will make you feel a happy stay. Kankrajhor is just 22km from Ghatshila (Jharkhand) & 65 km from Jhargram town.
Beyond the fertile Gangetic plains of Bengal, Jhargram offers the most exotic undulating topography culminating in hilly ranges of Belpahari, Kankrajhor in the north to the serene and meandering Subarnarekha River in the south. Nearby famous Dolma Hills are frequented by animals from Bihar, including tigers, leopards and elephants. Bears and wild boars are frequently found in the hills in search of Mahua flower sap. The sap is a potent intoxicant in the region and is used to make country liquor, simply called Mahua. This is a regular corridor of elephants.
It is a favourite destination for people who love forests and tranquillity. Its exquisite forestry, ancient temples, native folk cultural and tribal dances, makes it an extremely attractive destination for tourists who love yet unspoiled nature and her people of the soil on the face of earth.
Ketki Lake
It is a serene lake at the border of Jharkhand and West Bengal district, surrounded by dense and lush green forestry. I was fascinated by its solitude, distant from crowd. Walking around the lake is an experience to enjoy calmness of its water surrounded by hills and pristine forests.
How to Reach Kankrajhor-Belpahari:
By Train: The distance from Howrah to Jhargram station is 157 Kms and the journey takes three hours by train from Howrah.
By Road: Jhargram is also very well connected by highways with other nearby cities like Medinipur, Kharagpur, Durgapur, Bankura, Purulia, and Kolkata.
Personal experience
We drove straight from Kolkata to Jhargram, and then another 60km drive to the heart of Kankrajhor. The red lateritic forest floor is an experience to walk on. While walking on its undulated trails through forests you will hear only the relentless chirping of birds and murmurs of dry leaves being moved by frequent gust of cold breezes. Such ambiance in an afternoon will surely make you intoxicated and drowsy, free of all wiriness and stresses of busy urban life, and will help you enter into a peaceful siesta. One may arrange tribal dances amidst this forest, their native home. Their beating of drums, and the indigenous harmony of dances will make you fallen in love with this place. I’m sure. With the sunset the whole surroundings suddenly turn into a mystical darkness. Far from the distance sitting in the hut you may hear the intermittent sounds of nocturnal birds, hyenas, jackals and foxes.
Simple and beautiful tribal people there, basic stay with optimal standard and simple healthy food, unspoiled nature, tranquillity, and serenity...all will definitely make you feel... “How much we need to be happy?” Really?
What with the "Cost of Living Crisis" caused by whatever factors you choose to believe or disbelieve in the main stream media I find that a microwave oven is very handy for saving the pennies on fuel bills.
Take today's example. Broccoli, cauliflower florets and leeks cut up in a pyrex dish and heated on high for six minutes, Then add half a can of Chicken Jalfrezi curry (some like it hot) and further heated for another three minutes. Take a bottle of strong Belgian beer out of the fridge and there you have a decent main meal for under six quid. What with organic oatmeal porridge for breakfast and scrambled eggs on toast for tea that'll do me for today. (Plus two mugs of black instant coffee for breakfast, and proper tea brewed in a teapot and taken with milk at teatime and two mugs of green tea (no milk of course) mid-evening. A gin and tonic or a vodka based beverage may be sneaked in at some stage too...).
The tinned curry will horrify some but I am also happy to eat spam and stuff like that as long as there are plenty of vegetables in the mix and either beer or wine to assist the digestion ;-)
Purists will see the alcohol as an excessive luxury but I do make an effort to cut costs here by crossing the border into England to get cheaper booze (intoxicants are dearer in Wales).
Finally, yes, I do prefer to take my main meal of the day at noon although such a practice is determined whether I am out for the day or not.
Virginia Beach, Virginia's largest city, famously posts these unique anti-profanity/noise signs around the beach front. Apparently, according to VA law, "If any person profanely curses or swears or is intoxicated in public, whether such intoxication results from alcohol, narcotic drug or other intoxicant or drug of whatever nature, he shall be deemed guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor." Although one would think that cursing sober (!) would be protected by the Constitution.
@&#!! it.
Qalandar (Persian origin, also written as Qalander) is a title given to sufi holy men especially in South Asia. Some famous Sufis with the title Qalandar include Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalander and Bu Ali Shah Qalandar. The Qalandariyah also refer to the name of a sect of roaming Sufi dervishes.
The Qalandariyah, Qalandaris or "kalandars" are wandering solitary Sufi dervishes. The term covers a variety of sects, not centrally organized. One was founded by Qalandar Yusuf al-Andalusi of Andalusia, Spain. Some kalandars practiced asceticism and often used hashish, alcohol, and other intoxicants.
Starting in the early 12th century, the movement gained popularity in Greater Khorasan and neighbouring regions. The first references are found in 11th century prose text Qalandarname (The Tale of the Kalandar) attributed to Ansarī Harawī. The term Qalandariyyat (the Qalandar condition) appears to be first applied by Sanai Ghaznavi (d 1131) in seminal poetic works where diverse practices are described. Particular to the qalandar genre of poetry are terms that refer to gambling, games, intoxicants and Nazar ila'l-murd - themes commonly referred to as kufriyyat or kharabat.
The writings of qalandars were not a mere celebration of libertinism, but antinomial practices of affirmation from negative action. The order was often viewed suspiciously by authorities. The Kalendar of the Arabian Nights is properly a holy muslim ascetic who abandons the world and wanders about with shaven head and beard.
In some culture Qalandar's are controversial and viewed as heretic. In other places they are exalted and considered elect holy men. In Persian sufi poetry written in eleventh through fifteenth century there is praise for Qalandars. Rumi for instance wrote:
Bazm-e sharab o lal o kharabat o kaferi
molk e qalandarast o qalandar az u bari
guyi qalandaram man o in del pazir nist
zira keh afarideh nabashad qalandari.
Carousing and ruby - wine and ruins and disbelief,
These are the kingdom of the qalandar, but he is detached from it.
You say "I am qalandar!" But that is not agreeable,
since qalandarom is uncreated.
What is a Qalandar? A Qalandar is called a free spirit who has no wordly shackles and they are different from all ordinary human nature. In popular folk beliefs its considered that one Qalandar possess the power of hundred Walis (saints). Qalandars have discarded the lower human nature and flown to their lord. Qalandars can seem to be strange or act or dress strange. Their personality is different and sometimes bizare, but in reality a Qalandar is in Jazb, a secret reality intoxicated in the love of God and Divine Figures, messengers and saints. They closely resembles to wandering zen buddhist monks in their outward modes and sometime in their fierce madness due to intoxication into 'other reality'. Often time they are given special vision and hidden mysteries of reality are made known to them.
Some define Qalandars as an itinerant sufi, a wandering dervish, who learns and teaches during his travels and wandering.
Qalandar's are sometime considered hidden saints, embodiment of the perfect man (insan-i kamal) who hide themselves in the robe of beggar and wanderer. Although there has been distinction made between those who took the dress of qalandar as a fancy and those whose spiritual concerns are genuine.
The Qalandars deconstructs selfhood. He obliterates identity. He seeks to become "not Me" to himself.
The 13th century sufi Najm al-Din Daya Razi wrote about the figurative significance of the qalandar as: "The student of the path or Morid, must have the attribute of one who courts reproach and the character of a qalandar, but not in the sense of contravening the sacred law and imagining this to be the desired state. "
source
Author's Note: There is a lot of stigma regarding cannabis (often referred to as "herb" in this story) and it being used as a "drug." Cannabis is a healthy, natural herb with many medicinal benefits. There is a lot of misinformation out there and I encourage you, my crewmates, to do your research.
For people like Vincent, cannabis has the ability to ease chronic pain, silence anxiety, promote restful sleep, and improve overall mental wellness and so much, much more!
"I can't believe how big the warehouse is!" Aiden exclaimed as he sat down once again on the armchair in Vincent's office. "You wouldn't expect it to be all the way up here in the middle of the city sixty floors up!"
He'd just gotten back from being shown around the floors that belonged to Vincent's successful and business-savvy uncle. The warehouse had been nearly as long as Leon's Claw and easily three or four times as wide! The smell coming from some of those crates was so potent that it was comparable to Bernadette's fresh bhang! He was amazed the smell of the herb and extracts didn't carry out into the rest of the building more than it already did! And of course the warehouse led out to the small loading dock that was big enough for one small airship; something that had sparked Aiden's curiosity about something.
"So exactly how large IS your uncle's ship? Didn't you say he had a crew of twenty-four? That dock looked barely big enough to hold Leon's Claw!"
Vincent laughed softly as he finished pouring the boiling water from the kettle into two teacups before him on the desk. He'd decided on a nice, calming chamomile for the both of them while they relaxed for the night together. Once it was done brewing he'd be adding a touch of cream and honey.
"Heh, it's big enough to have a small hangar as well as a cargo bay. In the hangar are two smaller airships; each run by two to three men just like ours but they're smaller and faster. He uses them mostly for transporting cargo to and from the docks," Vincent explained as he wandered back over to the tea station before Aiden and set down the kettle safely in its place. "So 'large,' I'd say, is a fairly accurate term for it. And you're right, by the way. Last I heard it was twenty-four crew members including himself but he's had as many as thirty-six."
"Wow! So what else does he use them for?"
"Hm?"
"The airships. You said 'mostly for transporting cargo.' What else does he use them for?"
There was a pregnant pause before a mischievous smirk tugged at Vincent's lips. He straightened before replying simply, "Joyriding."
"Joyriding?"
"Yes, joyriding!" Vincent reiterated with a nod to indicate he was serious despite that smirk on his face that made Aiden suspect there was more to this than his captain was letting on. Though he supposed it wasn't really his business, he couldn't help but be curious! Vincent turned to walk off towards the shelves nearby behind the phonograph. He began browsing his albums of music; unaware of his friend's gaze lowering to admire the shape of his ass in those pants as he listened.
"When I was big enough to help him man the ships," Vincent reminisced, "he started bringing me aboard and started to teach me the ins and outs first-hand aboard those small ships." He withdrew an album and brushed his hand over the cover as he thought about whether he wanted to play it or not. He decided against it and slid it back into its spot before adding, "Once I got the hang of it, he began to take all of us out for short family trips. The girls would have so much fun getting to fly up in the air. It was always worth seeing their excited smiles." Vincent withdrew another album and then gave an approving nod as he turned with it (Aiden's gaze quickly rose before he was caught staring) and began to head back to the phonograph to set it up. "Once in a while we'd take off for a few days; the whole family."
Aiden could hear the sincerity and tenderness in Vincent's voice as he spoke of his family. He'd seen how sweet and like a concerned big brother he had been to Bernadette. Imagining a teenage Vincent helping to man one of those cargo ships made him smile even more. It helped paint a picture of who Vincent was with his family. And in Aiden's mind, it was a beautiful picture. He leaned against the armrest with a soft smile.
"That sounds like a lot of fun."
"It was!"
Vincent set the record and needle before turning the volume down low. This was one of his most enjoyed albums and he knew exactly what volume setting he wanted for gentle background noise. It would be perfect, he felt, for Aiden's first experience with the herb. And as he turned to head back for his desk, Aiden asked, "What did you pick?" Vincent grinned and held up the album cover. When Aiden tilted his head in slight confusion, Vincent huffed at him and pointed at the name of the musicians before stating, "Allow me to educate you, my unenlightened friend! They are a string quartet! It's my favorite kind of classical music and this happens to be my favorite album by them." Aiden laughed and grinned at Vincent as he walked past him and held his hands up in playful defense. And as Vincent snickered plopped into his chair and moved closer to the desk to begin adding cream and honey to their tea, the music began to play loud enough for Aiden to hear.
It began first with the gentle rhythm of a cello and viola joined in shortly by the violins and quickly began to take Aiden to the feeling of a lazy summer evening; much like he was hoping for while he spent tonight with Vincent. Vincent had told him that smoking the herb would be relaxing and great for listening to music with.
Vincent was already digging into the small bag and dumping the buds into a small glass jar to store them in; meant for sealing the scent and freshness (as he recalled Vincent explaining earlier in the warehouse).
It didn't take Vincent long at all to bring everything over to a small side table next to the desk. Then he began to finely grind up enough herb to fill half of his pipe. It WAS a large bowl after all. He needed to keep his wits about him for Aiden's sake....and honestly Aiden wouldn't need much herb at all for himself. Before Aiden knew it, Vincent was summoning him over!
"H'okay. Bring that chair over. Careful though! There's books under there!"
By the time Aiden had brought the chair over and settled in once again, Vincent was eager and ready to start. He smiled and explained, "You won't need much. Just one puff; maybe two."
"Seriously?"
Vincent grinned and replied, "Seriously. You'll see what I mean. You can expect to cough a bit; especially when you first start out. Don't be afraid of coughing. Once it sets in, you'll likely feel relaxed and a bit spaced out. It also helped put me in a pretty good mood, too."
Aiden eyed the pipe a little skeptically as Vincent reached for a wick. Once lit from the nearby candle he'd lit for this very reason, he sat back and relaxed with a content little sigh in his chair. Then without further ado he brought the pipe to his lips and lit the bowl.
Aiden's eyes focused on the bowl as the herb burned and filled the air with an almost perfume-scented smoke. Vincent inhaled deep and then exhaled slow; savoring the burn and sweetness of the herb. It was impressive how much smoke he'd taken in, Aiden felt. Once Vincent took another hit, he glanced over at Aiden with a small encouraging smile and offered the pipe to him.
"Go ahead. Just inhale for a couple of seconds then breathe it out."
Aiden took the pipe gingerly between his fingers and felt a little awkward. He'd never held one let alone used one before! Vincent had made it look so simple! Yet he found a somewhat comfortable position and brought the tip to his lips...and inhaled from the pipe.
Vincent watched with silent anticipation as Aiden inhaled just a little bit before pausing. Then he exhaled without letting it fully hit his lungs. Vincent smirked a little and instructed, "Nah, not like that. Inhale deep." He demonstrated by pressing his hands to his own abdomen and inhaling deep to show him. "Let it fill your lungs. Try again."
Aiden nodded and obeyed as he pushed past his nerves. This time he managed to inhale deep and properly filled his lungs with smoke! Vincent blinked and watched as Aiden continued to inhale for a solid four seconds (Vincent thought he'd have to tell him to stop!) and then impressively managed to exhale completely as if he'd done this many times before! At first, Vincent thought Aiden wasn't going to cough at all! But as Aiden tried to take his first breath of fresh air, he doubled over and clutched his abdomen as a deep, harsh coughing fit came bursting forth!
"Just let it out," Vincent sympathized as he reached out to take the pipe from Aiden while he coughed and coughed. He waited patiently until about ten seconds later when Aiden finally managed to come up for fresh air and rubbed his chest.
"It's not always like that, is it?" Aiden managed. Vincent shook his head and replied sympathetically, "No, you actually get used to the smoke for the most part. Here, have some tea. It will soothe your throat."
Aiden took the tea once it was offered up and took a small sip. Then a moment later he glanced at him and told Vincent a touch skeptically, "I don't feel anything yet."
"It takes a few minutes!" Vincent laughed as he set the pipe carefully on the small table before them. Then he led by example by smiling and settling back into his chair and sighing contently. "Go ahead and get comfortable. If you don't feel anything after a little bit then we'll take another hit off the pipe." Though Vincent had a feeling that Aiden wouldn't need it after that last one!
And so Aiden did. He smiled back and settled more against the chair with his tea and let his lungs come down from his coughing fit. After a minute he said, "Thank you for explaining it to me. And for letting me try it too." Vincent smiled softly and Aiden could see and feel the sincerity as he said, "Of course. It's my privilege to introduce and guide you through your first time."
"I'm glad it's you."
They smiled at each other for a long moment before Aiden sighed contently and glanced around the room some more to take in everything. Vincent watched his friend's gaze wander as he smiled softly to himself and let himself sink more into his chair. Aiden just had a way about him that set him at ease. The silence was comfortable and he didn't mind it at all. He glanced down towards the table at the pipe and smiled in amusement as he thought about Aiden's skepticism a few moments earlier.
A few seconds passed and he could feel Aiden's eyes on him. His gaze lifted to meet the young man's and he smiled softly. Aiden smiled back though it faded and he wet his lips before he broke the silence between them.
"Would you tell me what happened after I left?"
Vincent's soft smile faded and his gaze tinted with a hint of pain. Yet a second later he was smiling once more in a reassuring manner before shaking his head softly.
"It's nothing to worry about, Aiden. And with this being your first time trying the herb, heavy topics and distractions aren't recommended. Let us just enjoy the music and company, yes?"
And without realizing he was doing it, his tone held a touch of pleading for the topic to be dropped and over with. He...he really did not want this time with Aiden to be marred nor to bring the night down. After all, he had gone out to get high to escape this very reason!
Aiden recognized the sort of smile that Vincent was offering him. Now that he'd seen the beauty of Vincent's genuine smiles and laughs he could tell when they were forced...such as right now. Aiden hadn't been satisfied with Vincent's response but he, too, didn't want to ruin the evening. He knew he needed to trust Vincent that this would be best; especially with an intoxicant in his system. Aiden's brow furrowed slightly in worry despite his own small smile and he tried to let it go; at least for tonight.
"Well...okay. As long as you're sure."
"I'm sure."
Vincent gave him a reassuring, soft smile and led by example as he relaxed more into his chair and closed his eyes. He had to fight back a sigh of relief as he heard Aiden follow suit and get comfortable. Determined to push past this (and praying Aiden really would let it go), Vincent allowed himself to get lost in the music once again. He absolutely did NOT want to think about Damien and those conflicting feelings anymore!
A few more minutes passed before Aiden's eyes opened and he found himself gazing across the way at Vincent. The object of his affection was already blissfully lost in the music and apparently unaware he was being watched. He was even smiling softly as he shifted his head and shoulders to the gentle but catchy beat. It brought a smile to Aiden's face to see Vincent enjoying himself thus. And if he was not mistaken he could even hear Vincent's deep but gentle voice humming along with the melody!
The next musical composition played then the start of another. Vincent had continued to shift and hum along to the music; just letting himself go in a way Aiden had never seen before. It was one of those shining inner-beauty moments of his that Aiden treasured. It was nearly a third of the way into that second track when Vincent's eyes opened and he found himself looking away from the phonograph and....directly into Aiden's entranced eyes. A deep blush blossomed upon Vincent's cheeks and spread down his neck as he looked away with clear embarrassment and turned in his chair slightly.
"I didn't realize- I mean, I forgot where I was for a second! I'm sorry! God, I was- I mean....Bloody Hell!"
Seeing the grin spreading on Aiden's face, Vincent brought his hands up and buried his face in them. Was he going to laugh cruelly at him?! Was he going to tell him he sounded like a squawking seagull and shouldn't quit being a captain to pursue the musical arts?! Would he berate him for ruining the music?! Would he-?!
"Aw Vincent! Actually I think you sounded...well, really nice."
Vincent's panic-inducing thoughts ended abruptly as it registered what Aiden had said. Surprised, Vincent peeked through his fingers at his friend with wide eyes and saw that Aiden was instead looking at him with a soft smile and sincere eyes. It was as if he was determined to show Vincent he wasn't teasing him after all. Vincent came to believe it even more as Aiden launched into more elaboration about how he felt about Vincent's vocal additions to the music.
"Your voice carries a gentle but deep melodic ring to it that pairs well with the rest of the instruments. I can see how much you love this music by how you let yourself- well, for a lack of a better way to explain it, seems like you aren't 'just' listening to music. It's like....like you are somehow experiencing it. I've never seen anyone else get lost in music like that before. Seeing this side of you is a priceless gift."
Well, that was not what Vincent was expecting! He'd lowered his hands and set them in his lap and gently grasped the hem of his shirt as he gazed back at Aiden. Truthfully he was feeling bashful yet very pleased to hear all that! Did Aiden really feel that way about him? He was right! Music really DID mean more to him than he'd ever let on. Had Aiden really figured this out on his own? Well, it shouldn't surprise him, he thought, because Aiden really was an observant, understanding being. It took Vincent nearly ten seconds (to which Aiden held his breath nervously) before he finally found his words again.
"You...have a way with words. Heh, you can be quite eloquent when you want to be."
"Thank you. I have my moments."
"More than you realize, I think."
Feeling pleased with himself, Aiden's soft smile broadened to a grin as he bashfully ran his fingers through his hair with one hand. Vincent bit his lower lip and glanced down at his hands as he gently rubbed them over his thighs. He glanced across the room at the clock to see how long it had been since Aiden had taken his first hit.
"Mm. How are you feeling?"
At Vincent's question, Aiden licked his lips and leaned his head back against the chair. How DID he feel? While Vincent had told him what to expect, he wasn't sure if he was feeling anything. Sure he felt relaxed but it was nearly midnight after all. It was natural to feel like that.
"Relaxed. I'm enjoying the music and company."
"Good. Me, too."
Vincent flashed him a small smile then folded his hands over his abdomen as he reclined just a little more in his chair. He was wanting to smoke some more but Aiden was more important right now. Besides it wouldn't be much longer until Aiden surely would start feeling something. So he'd be patient and smoke with him if he needed more. But damn it all his mouth felt like it was filled with cotton! After a moment, he turned in his chair to retrieve his own teacup. He knew he'd need to make more in a little bit. Once he had it secure in hand he settled back into his chair and sipped gently with a small moan of appreciation.
About fifteen more minutes passed and Vincent was in the middle of pointing out the different instrumental instruments in the music as they listened. He was starting to think maybe Aiden was going to need another hit off the pipe after all. Maybe after he got done explaining?
"...and I love the sounds of the violins here! Oh, and that deep tenor sound there? That's the cello!" Vincent made a demonstration by bodily playing an air cello as if he were part of the quartet, himself. "Combined, that sound just- what's so funny?" Vincent paused and looked surprised as Aiden had suddenly started snickering for some unknown reason! What could be so funny about the cello and violins? It was nearly ten seconds later that Aiden paused long enough to respond.
"Sorry! Sorry, continue!" Aiden snickered again. When he didn't, Aiden elaborated, "I was just imagining how long the cheese slices would be if you ran a big cheese round across the strings rather than the stick thing!"
"....you mean the bow?"
"Yeah, that!"
And suddenly Vincent burst out into a loud eruption of laughter! Oh, he couldn't breathe! Well it seemed like the herb was working its magic on Aiden after all!
---
Next Part:
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To read the rest of the story, here's the album link:
www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/albums/72157717075565127
***Please note this is a BOY LOVE (BL/yaoi/gay) series. It is a slow burn and rated PG13!***
Special thank you to my husband Vin (Be My Mannequin? Pose Store) for collaborating with me on this series and co-starring as The Captain!
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Italian postcard by Bromofoto. Collection: Marlene Pilaete. Marlene: "Speaking of unusual cards, I have found in Italy a few Bromofoto cards showing scenes and costumes from Sardinia. And they have replaced the faces of the original models by movie stars’ faces, without giving any credit to them ! You will find for example the scan of a Gail Russell “Sardinian” card. And you will recognize that Gail’s face is taken from the Bromofoto bikini postcard nr 233 (flic.kr/p/QpCRVA) you’ve put on your 3rd of June post (at EFSP). It’s so weird."
American actress Gail Russell (1924-1961) was an incredible doe-eyed beauty who presented a screen image of great innocence and vulnerability. She is best known for the supernatural horror film The Uninvited (1944). During a promising career at Paramount, she became a victim of alcoholism. It ruined her career, appearance and marriage to Guy Madison. In 1961, she died from liver damage, only 36.
Gail Russell was born born Elizabeth L. Russell in 1924 to George and Gladys (Barnet) Russell in Chicago, Illinois. The family moved to the Los Angeles, California, area when she was a teenager. Her father was initially a musician but later worked for Lockheed Corporation. Russell attended high school in Santa Monica, California, where she was spotted by a Paramount talent scout and signed to a contract immediately upon graduation. Although Russell was possessed with a paralyzing kind of self-consciousness and had no acting experience, Paramount had great expectations for her and employed an acting coach to work with her. At the age of 19 she made her film debut with a small part in the comedy Henry Aldrich Gets Glamour (Hugh Bennett, 1943). She also had a small part in the musical Lady in the Dark (Mitchell Leisen, 1943) with Ginger Rogers. Russell's haunting, melancholy beauty was ideally suited for the ingénue role in the lavish supernatural horror film The Uninvited (Lewis Allen, 1944) with Ray Milland. Hal Erickson at AllMovie: "The Uninvited remains one of the spookiest "old dark house" films ever made, even after years of inundation by computer-generated special effects." Lewis Allen then directed Russell in Our Hearts Were Young and Gay (Lewis Allen, 1944), in which she co-starred with Diana Lynn. It was another success. Russell co-starred opposite Alan Ladd in Salty O'Rourke (Raoul Walsh, 1945), a horse racing drama. She made a third film with Allen, The Unseen (Lewis Allen, 1945), an unofficial follow up to The Uninvited. Gail played Elizabeth Howard, a governess of the house in question. The film turned a profit but was not the hit that Paramount executives hoped for. Then she and Lynn were in Our Hearts Were Growing Up (William D. Russell, 1946), a sequel to Our Hearts Were Young and Gay. The plot centered around two young college girls getting involved with bootleggers. Unfortunately, it was not anywhere the caliber of the first film and it failed at the box-office. She was reunited with Ladd in Calcutta (John Farrow, 1947), shot in 1945 but not released until two years later. Although the film was popular, critics felt that Russell was miscast.
Gail Russell left Paramount and appeared in the romantic comedy The Bachelor's Daughters (Andrew L. Stone, 1948) for United Artists. John Wayne hired her to be his co-star in a film he was producing, Angel and the Badman (James Edward Grant, 1948). It was a hit with the public and Gail shone in the role of Penelope Worth, a feisty Quaker girl who tries to tame gunfighter Wayne. She did Moonrise (Frank Borzage, 1948) for Republic. Bruce Eder at AllMovie: "Moonrise, the most expensive movie ever made by Republic up to that time, but one that was worth every penny. Arguably Borzage's finest directorial effort and the most hauntingly beautiful movie ever issued by the studio, Moonrise is filled with delights at just about every level that it is possible to enjoy in a movie." Russell returned to Paramount for Night Has a Thousand Eyes (John Farrow, 1948) with Edward G. Robinson, then reteamed with Wayne for Wake of the Red Witch (Edward Ludwig, 1948). She appeared in a Western with John Wayne for Pine-Thomas Productions, El Paso (Lewis R. Foster, 1949). Russell did Song of India (Albert S. Rogell, 1949) with Sabu for Columbia and The Great Dan Patch (1949) for United Artists. She made some more Pine-Thomas films: Captain China (Lewis R. Foster, 1950) with Payne, and the Film Noir The Lawless (Joseph Losey, 1951) with Macdonald Carey. She married film star Guy Madison in 1949, but by 1950 it was well known that she had become a victim of alcoholism, and Paramount did not renew her contract. She had started drinking on the set of The Uninvited to ease her paralyzing stage fright and lack of confidence. She made Air Cadet (Joseph Pevney, 1951) for Universal, but alcohol made a shambles of her career, appearance and personal life. In January 1954, in a court in Santa Monica, California, Russell pleaded guilty to a charge of drunkenness, receiving a $150 fine. The fine was in lieu of a jail sentence, with the provision that she not use intoxicants or attend night spots for two years. In the same court session, she received a continuance on a charge of driving while drunk.
Gail Russell disappeared from the screen for the next five years while she attempted to get control of her life. In 1954, she divorced Guy Madison. She returned to work in a co-starring role with Randolph Scott in the Western Seven Men from Now (Budd Boetticher, 1956), produced by her friend Wayne, and had a substantial role in the Film Noir The Tattered Dress (Jack Arnold, 1957) with Jeanne Crain and Jeff Chandler. In July 1957, she was photographed by a Los Angeles Times photographer after she drove her convertible into the front of Jan's Coffee Shop at 8424 Beverly Boulevard. After failing a sobriety test, Russell was arrested and charged with driving under the influence. She appeared in the B-film No Place to Land (Albert C. Gannaway, 1958) for Republic. By now the demons of alcohol had her in its grasp. She was again absent from the screen until The Silent Call (John A. Bushelman, 1961), a respectable family film about a big dog by the name of Pete with definite separation anxiety. It was to be her last film. On 26 August 1961, Russell was found dead in her small apartment in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California. She was only 36. She died from liver damage attributed to "acute and chronic alcoholism" with stomach contents aspiration as an additional cause. She was also found to have been suffering from malnutrition at the time of her death. She was buried in Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery in North Hollywood.
Sources: Hal Erickson (AllMovie), Denny Jackson (IMDb), Jim Beaver (IMDb), Wikipedia and IMDb.
And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.