General Chat

Just a little something for you to browse through and there's more to come.


The medicinal and magical properties of the hazel tree are many. And in the process they provide us with the tastiest nuts to eat.

Hazel trees are found in the Northern hemisphere in temperate climates. The male flowers are called catkins. The pale yellow male catkins are 2 to 5 inches long. The shyer female flowers hide in the buds of the the leaves. They are less than one tenth of an inch in size and only a small bit of them peaks out of the bud.

The nuts of all hazel trees are edible. Filberts are my favorite. Hazelnuts are the main ingredient in Nutella which has become a favorite of college students recently.

The nuts can be ground into flour for making breads and for anything else flour is used for. They are used in soups and to top salads.

It has been proven that nuts from hazel trees are brain food. They have double the protein and good fats of the same amount of eggs. The next time you are trying to write and run into a block, snack on a few hazelnuts and see if you feel a bit more creative.

Besides the protein, hazelnuts are good sources of vitamin E, calcium. magnesium, and potassium.

If you have a stubborn cough grind some nuts into a fine powder. Mix the powder with water and honey. Your cough should go away quickly.

Witch hazel is an astringent. It has various medicinal uses. It is made from the leaves and bark of the witch hazel bush.

Tea made from hazel trees treats varicose veins, fevers, excessive menstrual flow, circulatory problems, and diarrhea.

The branches of the hazel tree are extremely supple. They are used to make baskets. They are often woven into headdresses and other decorative items.

The charcoal made from burning the branches of the hazel tree make crayons and gunpowder.

The best thing about hazel trees is the magical properties they have. They are referenced in Greek mythology, Shakespeare, Celtic mythology, and even Grimm's Fairy Tales.

Walking sticks made from hazel wood are prized. They are gnarled and each one has its own look. They help the owner possess wisdom. It is said that St Patrick used a hazel rod to drive the snakes from Ireland.

Cont'd


A rod made from hazel wood has a lot of uses. It will protect you against evil spirits. It awakens inner intuition and insight. It can stimulate poetic and artistic skills. It can calm passions and improve virtues.

If you cut a hazel rod on Good Friday or St John's Eve, you can swish it through the air while naming your enemies. It will cause them pain, no matter where they are.

In Prussia a sign of the cross was made from a rod cut in the spring during the first summer thunderstorm. It would bless all rain for the coming year.

Fishing rods made of hazel wood will give you the knowledge of the best place to fish. Then the fish are drawn to the magic of the hazel in the rod. You will have a good catch.

Hazel has the power to draw on magical and other energies in the earth. That is why a forked hazel branch is used as a divining rod. Held by the ends of the fork with the longer end held straight in front of you, you move around looking for water. When the end dips toward the ground you have found water. The harder it points down the better it will be to dig a well. The divining rod can also be used to find other treasure as well.

Mythological characters that used hazel rods are Thor, Hermes, and Mercury. Norse mythology considered the hazel tree to be sacred. Thor used hazel as a protection against lightning. Apollo gave Mercury a hazel rod to help him maintain his godly virtues. Hermes hazel rod made him the personification of intelligence. Christian pilgrims often carried hazel rods as staffs. They used the same rods their whole lives and the rods were often buried with them.

Like the Norse the Celts thought of the hazel tree as a sacred tree. It is known as the tree of knowledge and also a tree of fertility. It inspires creativity.

The branches of the hazel tree can make unusual formations. Many use the branches as a focal point for meditation. The fantasies induced could result in visions. The nuts were used to induce visions too leading to heightened awareness and epiphanies.

In the legend of Fionn MacCumhail (pronounced Finn MacCool) hazel nuts dropped around a sacred pond that was encircled by nine hazel trees. The salmon in the pool ate the hazel nuts so that they were also full of infinite knowledge.

Fionn MacCumhail caught one of these salmon and was making a soup from it. He burned his finger and instinctively put his finger in his mouth to cool it. By just this contact he too became enlightened. He carried a shield of hazel wood that made him invincible in battle.

The Hazel Branch of Grimm's Fairy Tales tells that hazel branches are the best protection against snakes and other things that creep on the earth.

Hazel branches were woven into headpieces that were worn to protect warriors from evil. A ship master who wears such a cap is guaranteed to weather any storm.

In Wales if you make a cap of hazel leaves and twigs you can make a wish and it will come true.

Hazel nuts can be carried as charms. They ward off rheumatism and lumbago.

Because the nut reminds some people of a baby in the womb it is believed that it carries powers to enhance fertility. To increase fertility carry a nut on your person. Also drink a tea made from the essence of the nuts and include hazel nuts in your meals. In Devon an old woman would give a gift of hazel nuts to a bride to ensure fertility.

There is an old saying that if a girl goes nutting on Sunday, she will meet the Devil and have a baby before she can marry.

Carrying a piece of hazel cut that was cut on midnight on Halloween will keep you from getting drunk.

In Scotland the hazel grove is called calltuin (or calltainn). A Calton is considered to be an entrance to the Otherworld. Calton Hill between Leith and Edinburgh was used for magical gatherings.

Legend says that St Joseph of Arimathea built the original abbey of Glastonbury from hurdles of hazel branches.

In England hazel branches are gathered on Palm Sunday and kept alive in water inside the house. They will protect the house from thunder and lightning.

Hazel wood is used to make magic wands. They must be made on holy days. Good Friday, St John's Day, Epiphany, or Shrove Tuesday during the evening hours. If the night is a full moon they are even better. The wood must be cut from the eastern side of the tree by a cutter facing east. It is then presented to the rays of the rising sun. A virgin branch (one with no side shoots) is the most powerful.

On Halloween young people in love celebrate Nut-Crack Night. They cook hazel nuts over fires. The way the nuts burn will determine the course of their love over the next year. Either the nuts will burn together or fly apart.

If the hazel trees have a lot of catkins, there will be a lot of babies. The saying is "the more catkins, the more prams". ( The problem is that those years are also said to have an increased amount of prostitution.)

Place twigs of hazel in window frames to protect your house from lightning. Three pins of hazel wood driven into your house will protect it from fire.

If you are outside and in need of magical protection quickly draw a circle around yourself with a hazel branch.

String hazel nuts on a string and hang them in your house. Fairies will come to your aid.

In Germany hazel is a sign of immortality because it flowers at the end of winter.

The leader of the procession for a wedding in the Black Forest carries a hazel rod.

Cattle were driven through Beltaine and Midsummer fires. Their backs were singed with hazel rods to protect against disease and the evil eye. The scorched rods were used the rest of the year to drive the cattle.

In the seventh century Saint Mungo was assigned to light the monastery lamps when the cocks crowed. One day he could not do it because some boys had put out the fire. He was in deep despair and went for a walk outside of the monastery. He picked a hazel switch and began to pray for heavenly assistance. Fire came from the switch and he was able to light the lamps.

Each Christmas Eve a single golden branch is said to spring from the hazel tree.

If you find a double hazel nut you will have twins.

A hazel wand cut on the Sabbath day before rising is used as a charm to protect against evil witches. In Merionethshire in Wales corpses were buried with hazel rods to protect from witchcraft.

A double hazel nut will prevent toothache.

And the last bit.

To cure an adder bite place a piece of hazel wood that has been twisted into the shape of a cross on the bite. Then say
Underneath this hazelin mote,
There's a braggoty worm with a speckled throat,
Nine double is he,
Now from eight double to seven double
And from seven double to six double
and so on until:
And from one double to no double,
No double hath he

Well I never knew all that Mel about the Hazel Wood :-D :-D What made you look that up? All interesting things :-D

We went early so we got our favourite corner Anne. The double door near our table was wide open too so it was quite cool, but warming up by the time we left. It will be good when Ruby can have her walks again to burn off some energy won't it, but it's best to be cautious.

I like both of your dresses Jane and it's good to find something that doesn't need altering too. Hannah did well going for a run this morning in the heat. I couldn't have done it, even when I was younger and used to run a little.

Mel you could have had one of our garden claws. MIL bought us 2, a big one and a tiny hand one, but I couldn't get on with it as the twisting action made my arms ache too much. We have the easiest crumbly soil too. I found my hoe was much easier. Then when we cleared MIL's house we found theirs!!. I'm not sure whether we took ours to the charity shop. Even if we did there should be MIL's in the garage which I would have given you. :-) That was interesting stuff about the Hazel.

Since the cattle arrived in the field at the back a few weeks ago we have been plagued with flies! As you say Jane you wear yourself out wafting them to a doorway and just as you have success in your sights they double back and you have to start all over again!! We have one of those raquet things that fries them, but if you get them against a window pane the rim holds the wires away and they escape!! I think our ant killer must be too old to work anymore as I thought I'd killed the ants in the green house, but today when I was tying up the toms all of a sudden they were running up my legs!!!! :-0

i CAN REMEMBER WHEN MUM STOOD JARS OF JAM IN THE PANTRY IN SAUCERS OF WATER TO KEEP THE ANTS OFF. Sorry I did'nt mean to shout .

I am itching like crazy tonight. I have put on my cream and taken antihistamines.

Morning all,

Another sunny day and still itching.

Have you all melted yet?

Afternoon All

Mel ,we are all melting here Phew!!!!. I went out to get another bag of icecubes earlier and there were a lot of sweaty people out there LOL .All puffing their cheeks out and wiping hair back from foreheads. I was lucky to get the ice as there were just a couple of packs left. They had run out yesterday too.

Hannah and James are busy in the kitchen getting lunch. It is looking like quite a spread .But we will have to eat the cold meats and cheese pretty swiftly before they go off !!!

Just been called through,so will be back a bit later when Hannah has gone. James will be driving her to Northampton just before 2.

Afternoon All,

We were up quite early and I slept with nothing on and just a sheet over me and slept well last night. I can never lie in when it's this hot as the bedrooms are on the front and get the morning sun. We went for brekkie (the car said 34 degrees when we first got in!!) and they had the aircon on which was good. Then we went and bought the cordless hoover. With the price discount, our nectar points and the coupon OH had it ended up being half price!!!! They didn't have the steam mop model my friend said to get so I shall look on line for one. Curry's down the road may have them. We then carried on to the garden centre to use the WORKS 30% discount, but we didn't see anything in particular so will go later in the week as they were still putting stuff out. Then we called in the co-op and got sandwiches and a chocolate trifle for later and fizzy drinks and I forgot the loaf of bread I specifically went in for!!

Mel, Do you think it may be the sun causing the itching, or does it just happen when you get a bit hot? I can't remember if you had it in the winter now. I would take a bowl of cold water to bed and a cloth to mop the skin when it's itching. It will cool it a little.

I'm wishing we had Mandy's pool in the back garden. I wonder if she has been in yet? I can just imagine that cool water lapping.

Afternoon all,

Phew it's just to hot to sit out now ,family came this morning for another dip and i did go in today the water was just so nice not at all cold ,i feel so relaxed now .
They stopped for some lunch today but have gone now as they didn't want the children out in the sun as it was getting so strong as it was you could see where the girls swimming straps had been they were left with white marks when they undressed and DIL had really slapped the sun cream on them before they came .
Son said his shoulders were a bit sore from the sun yesterday.

Sounds as if you got a good bargain this morning Ann getting the hoover for have price ,i like my little cordless hoover its so easy to use to just wizz round picking the bits up mainly all Max's hair !!

Not many bags of ice left in our Tesco's either ,i got some ice cubes out this morning for our drinks and Max went crazy for some ,you should hear him crunching them up, but he just has to throw them about a bit first and break them into a hundred bits !! :-D

Mandy I bet thats great to watch Max and the ice cubes. Oh came in just before lunch and said it was much too hot to do anymore out there and went off to have a shower.

Ann I never go out in the sun without a long sleeves shirt on. I am itching in places like my tum, arms upper arms and my pants elestic seems to tight and then you want to itch that bit too.

At least inside it is nice and cool as the bungalow faces north and I have the fan going by the side of my desk.

I must go and check on the bantams water and the birds water then I can get on with some ironing. So much washing with changing of clothes but that means more ironing.......

Mandy could'nt the children go in the pool with little light weight cotton t shirt on which would protect their shoulders. The sun bouces off the water and thats why they catch it whilst in the pool.

Crumbs Ann you were brave in this heat with your shopping this morning. That was a good buy.I quite fancy a cordless hoover but it would be where to plug it in all the time and also with this being such a big house the battery would probably keep going.

Max would have looked so funny chasing the ice cubes and then crunching them. :-D

I expect the Zoo's and Safsri parks have been making those giant ice lollies for the animals to lick .

Mel my Mum did the same with the jam and saucers in the pantry :-D

While it is so hot could you not leave your pants off and just have loose trousers ?I would think the less amount of clothing on you at the moment would be more comfortable for you. I only have my dress and pants on today.

This heat is too much now. Poor Thomas had been lying under my car on the drive for ages.I suppose it was nice and shady under there ,but I hate him out the front. I don't know where he has gone now

Oh my life I have just seen tonights and tomorrows temp :-S :-S.

Mel thats what i thought the children should have had some old t shirts on in the pool
to shade them from the sun .

Come on all round to mine to cool off ,we have just checked the water temp and it's now 28 in there lovely and warm ,i keep going out putting my arms in the water ,i can go down to my elbows when i lean over the side and theres no difference in the water temp usually you can feel the water getting cold as your arms go down .

Poor Max has been konked out all afternoon just laying on the tiled floor cooling off infront of the fan.

Jane, my hoover is a Vax ,it came with a hand held little hoover so there were two battries ,it came with a charger unit to charge the battries up so you don't have to have the hoover on charge, you just take the battery off to charge ,i can hoover right through each day and one charge would last three or four days .
Battries charge up in about half an hour .

Mandy I hope all goes fine with OH's Kidney function tests tomorrow.

Ann,how is Ruby today.? Did she have you up in the early hours again last night?I bet you can't wait until she can get out and have a good run again to burn off all that excess energy.

No Gill for a few days? I have scrolled back some posts and havent seen anything from her.

I have an appointment tomorrow afternoon at the foot clinic to get my toenails cut and hopefully some of this horrible thick scaly skin (psoriasis) filed down on the bottom of one foot.It is quite sore to walk on at times.

Hannah will be glad to be back home now after the train journey and then a tube with her case which weighed a ton.I have no idea what she had in it just for a couple of days.We are going next Sunday to see the new flat and go out for lunch.It better have cooled down a bit by then !!! She wanted to meet up in Cambridge for my birthday but I said no to that idea seeing we will see her next Sunday ,and plus the fact I will be going to London on the 4th to meet an old friend. I just don't fancy another long trip.I expect too that Fitz will up for lunch at some point that week as he will be 70 on the 2nd. Chris has done a lovely water colour of an old cottage in Pembrokeshire that Fitz lived in for some time back in the 70's. I had it framed last week and it looks good.I am sure Fitz will be really happy with it :-D

Poor Larry had a phone call from the police just now to say the cows on the reserve had got out and were marching up some road . Someone must have left the gate open :-S :-S.. I don't know what Larry is supposed to do other than contact the farmer.Larry can't be responsible for rounding them up !!! Janice sent me a pic of the cows.I bet some of them will have been wandering into peoples gardens :-S

Too hot to eat .I have had gallons of nice iced water but the ice cubes melt almost as soon as they go in.I have just realised I haven't actually been for a wee since this morning even with drinking so much. I think I will have a change now and have a big G&T :-D

You poor thing Mel. :-S I suppose trying to keep cooler is all you can do. Your OH did well to get anything done this morning. OH watered the greenhouse and pots and called it a day. He said he's getting the hose out tonight as we are due this hot weather all week.

I had to chuckle at Max crunching the ice cubes!! If I tried that I think I would end up crunching bits of tooth!!! :-S The sun soon catches you doesn't it and by the time you notice it's a bit too late. Were there any pics of the children or you in the pool Mandy?
We haven't seen Lewis for a while and he must be quite a big boy now.

Your lunch spread sounds good Jane. I bet Hannah has enjoyed her break and feels a bit refreshed after all the studying and exams.

I'm finding it most strange this weekend. I know I would soon get hot and sweaty if I was outside and I know I haven't done much and am sitting in a strappy top and knee length shorts, but I haven't felt the slightest trickle of sweat. The thermometer here in the study is showing 26 degrees as the sun is on this side now. I don't have a fan on. I was just thinking of all those years of sweltering and soaring temperature with hot flushes and am wondering now they have stopped if my thermostat is still gently falling and might be back to normal eventually!! :-)

More Poldark tonight! I'm not sure I like The Loch but may watch another episode.

I haven't sweated either Ann. I am guessing that even though it is very hot it can't be humid. I don't know how though that you have managed without the fan !!!

Thomas hates the fans and just slinks past giving a 'look'.

Mandy what I would give just to have a little dip in that pool .It didn't take long for all that water to heat up did it !!!. I actually had an old washing up bowl with cold water in and sat with my feet in it :-D. James has just had a luke warm bath and i will have a cool shower before I go to bed.

Lunch was really nice.Simple ,and just right .I think James had planned to actually cook a meal but that would have been madness today. It was just a cold meat platter of Italian Meats, an Italian Salad ,a couscous dish with lovely flavours,some Cheese and Tomato Flatbreads,Artichokes in Olive Oil, Olives, Cambembert and Crackers.There was one pack of crackers that had to be binned as they were a year out of date LOL .James found them in one of the cupboards .James is taking the remains of the Couscous for his lunch at work tomorrow It was so nice not to have to do anything at all .Even the clearing up :-D

No Frank. I hope he hasn't got sunstroke !! I am looking out the window and it is completely still. Nothing moving at all.

Well I take back what I said as I just went out to help do some watering and by the time I came in my eyes were all wet behind the lenses of my glasses and my back and neck sticky. It will be lovely getting your feet sorted out at the foot clinic tomorrow Jane. I have never been to a chiropodist, but have nearly had to as it's tricky cutting nails with your legs straight which I have to do now. :-S I have sent you a PM.

I hope your hubby gets seen early tomorrow Mandy and that the tests go well. I'm on my way for a dunk in your pool!! That sounds lovely plunging your arms in to cool off.

I might have to change the hoover for the model with the softer brush (it's dearer as well.) I should have checked first but I see the manufacturers of our hard floors say some hoovers will scratch them. You can stop the brush on our current hoover when you do the hard floors. I sometimes don't though and they look fine so I'll unpack it first and see if the brush looks the same. If not I think I can buy the soft brush head seperately so there should be a way round it. :-) Jane there is a newer model than mine that has a longer run time.I expect I shall still get the big hoover out at times but it will save getting it out when you want to do a quick sweep through. What I like as well Mandy is that you can use it as a small car vac to clean the car. I hate having to drag the big hoover outside and pass cables through windows or the door and then put it all back again after.

Yes it's going to be hot like this for at least a few more days yet. We had some of my home made lemonade diluted with fizzy lemonade this afternoon and it was lovely. Alcohol will make you hotter Jane!! :-0

Hi all,

Just to let you know mum's not well at the moment , I think it might be the heat, so I've been looking after her, if I'm not on here for a few days you know why.

Hope everyone is okay, I'm just on my way back to mums so haven't had a chance to catch up with all the posts yet. OH is waiting in the car so I'd better go, see you all when I can <3

Got your PM Ann and have replied :-)

Yes toenail cutting with straight legs is nigh on impossible to get it done properly . I had my cut a couple of months ago at the foot clinic, and they were done so well. It might be worth finding someone to do yours Ann. They just have the right clippers and can see what they are doing . Not like us where it can be hit and miss sometimes .So many times I have ended up cutting too much at the wrong angle and ending up with a bleeding toe.

My specs are slipping down my nose.I keep having to push them back up.

I have a plaster on my back. Yesterday morning when drying my back I managed to rub off one of those horrible crusty mole things.It bled like mad. I had to call Chris up as I couldn't actually see and by the time he got upstairs the blood had trickled right down to my waist :-S :-S .

Hope your Mum soon feels better Gill, I would think it could be the hot weather as I haven't been feeling too good myself this last couple of days, still 26 degrees in the garden right now We have four fans on down stairs and a couple in the bedrooms.

I hope all goes well for Colin tomorrow Mandy, It sounds as though the pooll
has been much appreciated. Max has got the right idea to keep cool by enjoying the ice cubes bless him.

It sounds just the right meal that Hannah and James have prepared for you all Jane.

Ruby had a better night last night didn't want to get up until 7.30 which is the usual time for her, in the week I get up at 6.30 so I can have a quick shower and then feed the cats.

Still no Frank I hope all is well down in Devon