The Slippery Spirit

There is a Norse charm called the  Vegvísir.   It comes from the Huld Manuscript, which was collected in Iceland in approx. 1860, but allegedly contains much older information. The  Vegvísir ( Iclandic for "sign post") is intended to provide the holder of the charm with the ability to pass through rough weather without getting lost. [Edit, May 2014: The original Huld Manuscript image is given below by request.] The internet has tons of images of this charm. Most of these images are photos of tattoos, already indellible in someone's skin. Unfortunately, I found all of them to be wrong. Looking at the original manuscript will reveal that there are lines making up the  Vegvísir symbols that are not present on the internet versions. So if you plan to make and use this charm, particularly in a permanent capacity (like a tattoo), you will want to get it right. The  Vegvísir is made up of eight staves radiating from a center point. Each of the staves terminate...

Florida water is a traditional scent blend of unisex perfume, or more correctly, an eau de toilette. When one blends notes of citrus, lavender and a spice like cinnamon and/or clove, one has blended “Florida Water.” At one time, there was no one correct formula for this scent. It was usually made by pharmacists (“druggists” or “chemists”) to meet the demand in their area, though large companies were manufacturing it for sale world-wide. Pharmaceutical trade publications printed dozens of formula suggestions over the years for druggists to blend in their stores. Formulations for this scent stayed relatively close to a culturally accepted scent concept so that passers-by would know that one was wearing florida water as opposed to something else, like rose water or geranium water. Because the scent was inexpensive, readily available and socially endorsed, it became a perfume useful for making any environment pleasant to the visitation of ancestral spirits. Over time, it became the ...