History of the Celtic Druids

The Druids were an ancient order of Celtic priests in the societies of Western Europe, Britain and Ireland. The Celtic Druids served their communities by combining the duties of seer, priest, poet, philosopher, historian, scholar, teacher, doctor, astronomer and astrologer. The Celts had developed a highly sophisticated religious system, with three divisions of men who were held in exceptional honor; the lowest division were called the Ovates, the second division were called the Bards and then the Druids. The ovates were the healers and seers; the bards memorised the songs, poems, and stories of the tribe (historians); while the druids taught moral philosophy and were experts in the workings of natural science.

The Celtic Druids were advisers to the rulers of that time, acted as judges in the event of disputes, supervised executions and even controlled the legal system. They were held in such respect that if they intervened between two armies they could stop the battle. The Druid priests and priestesses acted as mediums through which the spirits could be summoned and heard, with rituals throughout the history of the Celtic Druids being enacted in sacred groves of oak trees and circles of standing stones

The first surviving and fullest account of the druids and their religion is that given by Julius Caesar in his Commentarii de Bello Gallico, book VI, written in Gaul in 59-51 BC. Overall, not much can be said of the druids with assurance as the sources of information about them is limited. However they continued to feature prominently in later sources of Irish myth and literature. Thus, the history of the Celtic Druids presents many obscurities and our main literary sources date back to the 2nd century BC with Pliny and The Commentaries of Caeser.

History of the Celtic Druids

"The principal point of their doctrine", Caesar wrote, "is that the soul does not die and that after death it passes from one body into another."

Caesar continued:

"With regard to their actual course of studies, the main object of all education is, in their opinion, to imbue their scholars with a firm belief in the indestructibility of the human soul, which, according to their belief, merely passes at death from one tenement to another; for by such doctrine alone, they say, which robs death of all its terrors, can the highest form of human courage be developed. Subsidiary to the teachings of this main principle, they hold various lectures and discussions on astronomy, on the extent and geographical distribution of the globe, on the different branches of natural philosophy, and on many problems connected with religion".
-Julius Cesar, "De Bello Gallico", VI, 13

After the first century BC the continental druids disappeared entirely and were referred to only on very rare occasions. However, there is some evidence that the druids of Ireland survived into the mid- to late-seventh century. In the De Mirabilibus Sacrae Scripturae of Augustinus Hibernicus, there is mention of local magi who teach a doctrine of reincarnation in the form of birds.

During the first millennium, Celtic and Druid spirituality was preserved by the Christian clerics who performed the valuable service of recording many of the stories and myths by which the oral teachings of the Druids were conveyed. People who think that Druidry was destroyed with the coming of Christianity fail to understand the resilience of spiritual teachings when they are encoded in myths and stories: and it is thanks to the clerics' recording of these tales that we can be inspired by them today. St Patrick also recorded all of the old Druid laws in Ireland - providing us with invaluable information on the ethics and social structure of Celtic Druid culture.

DRUID'S CIRCLES
A Druid's Circle is a popular name for circles of standing stones such as Stonehenge, which is the most famous example. These are also known as the "Temples of the Druids". Great mounds of earth were also built where the practice of seeking rebirth within the Earth was performed (in which initiates would sit in darkness awaiting the time of their rebirth). The best example of this is found at New Grange in Ireland, where a shaft is oriented to the Winter Solstice sunrise, so that the dawn rays can bathe the initiate in sunlight after his or her vigil through the night.

History of the Celtic Druids
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Irish Astrology is about bringing awareness of the Celtic Symbols used in the Druid belief system. They were used as early as the Vedic, Greek, or Roman systems. Click here for more info on Celtic Symbols and here for lovely Free Screensavers

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Chat With Older Women Seeking Young Men

Imagine, for just a moment, walking around your local town or city and knowing - with your "Spidey-sense" - which older women want to date or enjoy casual flings with younger men like yourself. You could then chat with older women seeking young men all day and night. Believe it or not, this is actually possible. And, no, you do not need any psychic ability!

Many mature women are attracted to young men. Age is an aphrodisiac to them. You, as a young man, do not need to be wealthy or handsome. The mere fact that you are a young adult male is entirely sufficient to make you hugely desirable to many older ladies. Now the problem is this: these ladies do not advertise their desire in obvious places. You won't find them on a classified site or the personals section of a local newspaper. Most mature women are married and those that are single feel worried about admitting they like young men.

It is a little known fact that cougars - mature females attracted to younger males - use popular dating communities to hunt down young men. Now, knowing this, it is entirely possible to find one within 5 minutes and be chatting to her. You need to join one of these communities and make a nice profile. Most of these sites have a free community that you can join which is fine for getting started. Once your profile is complete, and you've confirmed the email they send, put in a search for local women over forty years of age in your town. This will usually give you several thousand results.

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Those women who are actually online now will come first in the list of results. You can see their profile picture next to their name and location. Sometimes you will be very surprised. You might see someone you know! All you have to do now is send instant messages to as many women who are online as you like. In a few seconds, or minutes, you will be able to chat with older women seeking young men.

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Guide To Free (Or Cheap) Building Materials

Do you need a backyard storage shed, but feel you cannot afford the high cost of building materials? Have you ever contemplated building a summer cabin or perhaps a house but the cost of materials is prohibitive? These projects may seem like something you would just as soon leave to the hired professionals, especially for us carpentry challenged folks, but what if you just want materials for a planter to showcase your special flowers or a new home for "Fido"? I am about to make a bold proclamation by stating that you can get the materials you need for FREE! Yes, you heard it right...FREE! "How," you ask, "might this be possible?" Listen closely my friends, and I will show you how to do just that.

Before we begin, I should let you in on the only two things you will need to accomplish this seemingly impossible task of finding free materials...patience, and flexibility. The reasoning behind these two very important attributes shall become clear as we move along.

The first step is to decide what materials you need for your project, and also some alternatives that will work if necessary. This is where the flexibility comes in. You may not get the "exact" materials you need, but some alternatives are just as good. Suppose you are building a deck on the summer cabin. If you are vying for a position in the "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" you probably wouldn't read this far into this article, so I am guessing that functionality and price considerations are more important than beautiful craftsmanship. I would suggest using pallets as a starting point. They are sturdy, easy to assemble, and readily available. Plus they can be covered later for a more aesthetic appearance. We built a porch on our cabin using pallets that we covered with decking material that we later found. Check lumberyards, electrical/plumbing supply outlets, door and window shops, just about any place that receives large shipments of merchandise. These places are easily identified by the monstrous stacks of pallets in the alley or behind the building, and most places will give you as many as you want. Electric companies are also good sources for the large wire spools that make excellent patio tables, birdbath stands, and any other use you might imagine.

Guide To Free (Or Cheap) Building Materials

Always be on the lookout for neighbors and others that are doing their own remodeling projects. They often have discarded materials and are happy to give them away rather than having them hauled off at their expense. For our cabin, we asked a home remodeler for unwanted materials and that's where we acquired the doors, windows, roof sheathing, stove pipe, screws, nails, among other things.

Many times you might find elderly residents who would love to have their yard cleared of years worth of accumulated stuff, but they are incapable of doing the job themselves and not financially able to hire someone to do it for them. Make a deal to clean their yard in exchange for the materials.

Local lumber mills have mountains of byproduct that is unusable for their purposes but perfect for many homeowner projects. Check with the office for availability and restrictions.

Old discarded tires are strewn all over the countryside, but may just turn into a beautiful landscape piece for the artistic homeowner, or filled with cement to become shed supports. Automobile junkyards may offer useable materials for the visionary builder...use your imagination. Pickup bench seats can be conformed into unusual but classic breakfast niche booth seats.

You will most assuredly have more success in your quest for free materials if you become a Classified Ad reader. Read them every day. Look for anything that says "free" but be sure to call early because these things go fast. There is a gold mine waiting to be had for the asking. Many times you might find free items just because you are willing to haul them away. If you are really energetic, you may find an ad for a house to be torn down in exchange for the materials. Here is a great source for lumber, bricks and blocks, trusses, windows, doors, plumbing fixtures, and the list goes on.

New construction sites offer a plethora of material gathering options. Many times there will be a huge dumpster on site for material discards that may be just the thing you are looking for. You may find dimension lumber, insulation, electrical wiring, PVC pipe, etc. Please be sure to check with the construction foreman before taking these materials.

If you happen to need "like new" building materials without the exorbitant cost, check your surrounding communities for a salvage lumberyard. These establishments offer "scratch and dent" or otherwise rejected building materials at substantial discounts.

As you can see, there are endless possibilities when it comes to recycling "pre-owned" building materials, but a better price cannot be found. Forethought must be applied and sometimes you must patiently wait for the perfect opportunity, but the end result will be well worth the effort. Just keep your eyes open and don't be afraid to think outside the box.

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To find more resources for "almost free" stuff including furniture and decorating on a budget Click Here

Ferrel Kenda is an Internet author and specializes in affiliate marketing and promotion.

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What Font Should You Use For Your Book?

One of the most common questions asked by would-be self-publishers who are intent on designing and typesetting their book themselves is, "What font should I use?"

I'm always relieved when somebody asks the question. At least, it means they're not just blindly going to use the ubiquitous default fonts found in most word processing programs.

However, there is almost no way to answer the question. It's like asking, "What's the best car model for commuting to work everyday?"

What Font Should You Use For Your Book?

You'll get a different answer from almost everyone you ask. And they might all be correct.

I am willing to offer one hard-and-fast rule, however: don't use Times New Roman or Times Roman. That will brand your book as the work of an amateur at first glance. And there are other, very practical, reasons for not using it. Times Roman and Times New Roman were designed for the narrow columns of newspapers, originally for the London Times back in the 1930s. Today, almost no newspapers still use it. How, or why, it became a word processing standard, I have no idea. The font tends to set very tight, making the text block on the page dense and dark.

Here are two caveats before proceeding to few recommendations:
The typeface you choose may depend on how your book will be printed. If you look closely at most serif fonts (like Times), you will notice that there are thick and thin portions of each letter. If your book will be printed digitally, you should steer away from fonts with segments that are very thin. They tend to become too faint and affect readability. Don't get carried away with the thousands of font choices available. Most are specialty fonts suitable for titles, headlines, advertising, emotional impact, etc. And never use more than a very few fonts in a single book -- we usually choose one serif font for the main text body, a sans serif for chapter titles and headings within the chapters. Depending on the book, we may select a third font for captions on photos, graphics, tables, etc. (or maybe just a different size, weight, or style of one of the other two). We may select a specialty font for use on the front cover for the title and subtitle.

For 90% of books, any of the following fonts are excellent choices:
Palatino Linotype Book Antiqua (tends to set tight, so you may have to loosen it up a bit) Georgia Goudy Old Style Adobe Garamond Pro (tends to have a short x-height, so it might seem too small in typical sizes) Bookman (the name sort of gives it away, doesn't it?) Century Schoolbook (tends to be a bit wide, creating extra pages)

You need to look at several paragraphs of each font to see what, if any, adjustments you may find necessary in things like character spacing and kerning. You want to avoid little confusions, like:
"vv" (double v) that looks like the letter "w" "cl" (c l) that looks like the letter "d"

Such things can make the reading experience annoying.

If you ask other designers, you will likely get other suggestions, but I wouldn't be surprised to see at least some of the above included in their recommendations.

You may run across some books with more unusual font choices, but there are often good reasons for it. Maybe the book is a humor book for which the designer chose a lighthearted font, for example. Such decisions should be made with care and thoughtful consideration for the effects on readability.

Never decide on your font or font size based only on viewing how it looks on your monitor. Most trade paperback books are printed in 10 or 11 point size, but some fonts require larger - or even smaller - sizes. If 12 points looks too big and 11 too small, you can try 11.5 - no need to stick with integer sizes. You might be surprised how much difference a half-point (or even a quarter-point) can make on the overall "feel" of the page.

You also have to decide on appropriate leading (pronounced like the metal), which is the distance from the baseline of one line of text to the baseline for the next line, measured in points. The result is usually expressed as a ratio of the font size in points to the selected leading in points. So, you might say you have set the body text in Georgia 11/14 or Bookman 10/12.5 (11-point size with 14 points leading and 10-point size with 12.5 points leading, respectively).

Word processing programs tend to work in decimal inches, forcing you to convert leading from points into inches. A standard point is equal to 0.0138 inches. Professional typesetting/layout programs (like Adobe InDesign) allow you to use points and picas to define all type measurements and settings. although you can also specify those settings in various other units (including inches).

Typically, book designers will develop more than one design for each book's interior, using different fonts, sizes, and leadings. They should typeset a few pages of the actual manuscript and print them out with the same page settings they plan to use in the final book (e.g., 6" x 9" pages). This allows the client to compare them side-by-side and evaluate them for readability and overall look.

And don't forget your target audience. Very young readers and very old readers do better with larger type. Books that are very textually dense with long paragraphs frequently need more leading and a wider font.

Ultimately, you have to choose based on what your gut reaction is to the typeset samples. It never hurts to ask other people to read it and tell you if one option is easier to read than another.

If you want to gain an appreciation for typography and how to make appropriate design decisions, I recommend the following excellent books:

The Complete Manual of Typography by James Felici

The Elements of Typographic Style by Robert Bringhurst

Book Design and Production by Pete Masterson

For those who insist on using Microsoft Word to typeset books, you really should buy and study Perfect Pages by Aaron Shepard. He is the reigning guru of how to do it.

It is far better to buy professional layout software and then learn all you can about typography and how to apply those principles to book design...or to hire a professional to do for you. The latter course will leave you more time to develop a dynamic marketing plan for your latest book and start writing your next one!

What Font Should You Use For Your Book?
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Walt Shiel is the Managing Partner and Publishing Mentor at Five Rainbows Services for Authors & Publishers, a subsidiary of Slipdown Mountain Publications where he serves as Publisher. Besides offering a full range of affordable publishing solutions, Five Rainbows can tailor a mentoring program to help you achieve your specific goals for your book! And be sure to check out Walt's View From the Publishing Trenches blog.

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10 Interesting Things About Antarctica

Antarctica is perhaps the most mystical of all the continents and also the most misunderstood. Here are 10 things about Antarctica you should know.

Antarctica and the Arctic often are confused by many people. Antarctica is the land mass at the South Pole - the one with the cute penguins you see in the movies. There are tons of interesting things to know about Antarctica, but here are 10 you may not.

1. Antarctica is the coldest and windiest of all the continents.

10 Interesting Things About Antarctica

2. To the surprise of many, Antarctica is also the driest of all the continents receiving a mere sprinkling of rain and snow once or twice a year.

3. Antarctica gets its name from the Greek language. In a bit of deviousness, the term because it means opposite the Arctic.

4. The continent was discovered in 1820 by a Russian expedition, but was not further explored to any serious extent for another 100 years.

5. No permanent human residents are known to have ever lived on the continent and even today only temporary scientific communities exist.

6. Antarctica, not the Sahara Desert, is technically the biggest desert in the world, but the desert is ice instead of snow.

7. The ice sheet covering the continent is approximately 1.6 miles thick on average and holds 90 percent of the fresh water on the planet in the form of ice.

8. The ice sheet was melting dramatically. In 2002, over 1,000 square miles broke off the continent. In recent years, unusual amounts of snow fall have resulted in a thickening of the ice contrary to global warming concerns.

9. The continent is the only natural habitat of the Emperor Penguin, immortalized in the movie March of the Penguins. The penguin, however, also is found on the shoreline of some southern continents from time to time.

10. The continent has no government and is not owned by any country. Many countries have claimed the continent at one time or another. Currently, a treaty exists that grants the continent its independence from any such claims.

All and all, Antarctica is an amazing place. Contrary to popular assumptions, it is one of the driest places on Earth, yet holds 90 percent of the fresh water on the planet. This contradiction is just one of many that arise when considering this amazing continent.

10 Interesting Things About Antarctica
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Richard Monk is with FactsMonk.com - a site with facts about everything including Antarctica.

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