Tania Kettle

I don't know about you, but I go through phases.

I mean, I can go 30, possibly 47 days not even looking at a nut.  Can walk by them in supermarkets and be Meh! pass them in shops and not give them a second look, and then I get up one morning and Boom! I have to have Hazelnuts.

Not Peanuts, Almonds, Cashew or Macadamia's.

Hazel.

So let's have a little tutu about these jewels of the earth.

Well, first off, Hazelnuts are call Filberts.  I know, right?  That's kind of random.  But anyway, Filbert derives from the German Volbart. The word means "full beard," which is what the husked shell of the hazelnut looks like.

Anyway, they are rich in unsaturated fats, (mostly Oleic Acid - this is what gives membrane fluidity), Magnesium, Calcium and Vitamins B and E.  They are excellent for heart, cancer and are amazing for muscle, skin, bone and joints.  They are also particularly good for digestive health. 

Enough of the head stuff though, let's talk about the magic...

Mystical folklore says Hazelnuts are for wisdom and inner peace.

In the Fenian Irish tales:

Nine purple Hazelnuts fall into the Well of Wisdom and are eaten by a salmon. This salmon gains all the world's knowledge, and this knowledge is then to be passed on to the first person to eat the fish.  A servant named Fionn is asked to cook the fish, but burns his fingertip whilst cooking it. Fionn sucks his finger to stop the pain and through that action gains untold wisdom, becoming the leader of the heroes of Fenian.  

Oh c'mon, that's kind of cool!

But what about the Highlanders who carried Cno-chomblaich (a conjoined pair of Hazelnuts) as a charm against witchcraft on their long journeys or Travellers who wore a little bag of Hazelnuts around their necks as a preventative for piles.

But my favorite is:

During the Pagan Festival of Samhain, Samhain is a Festival of the Dead, meaning "Summer's End" and pronounced Saah-win. Actually, Samhain is the most significant of the four quarterly Fire Festivals, taking place at the midpoint between the Fall Equinox and the Winter Solstice.  Anyway, moving right along, Hazelnuts were cast into the fire by women, whilst naming prospective husbands. The nut and name with the loudest crack was deemed to be the successful choice.

You know, I just saw you smile, picturing yourself with all the other little witchies throwing your Hazel.

I like science, but I love folkolore.

Wishing you much love and abundance and a truly courageous heart.

T and Spirit

xx

* My Ta Moko (The Journey of 10,000 miles) is finished for a fair few years now.

You can see my journey from my younger years, Liam and myself, up to 40, the big change that happened then, and then the 40 to 50 years.  

If you are standing looking directly at me, Liam's journey is on the left and mine on the right.  Liam's talks of him leaving home, his degrees - Bachelor of Science, Honours, Masters.  His travelling, his time overseas and him starting his journey to becoming a man of depth and substance.

Mine talks of the horses, Touch/Play, herbs, balms, the Clairsenses and Spirit. The wisdom that comes from age and experience, and the joy that comes from both.  

Separate and intertwined.  

Flowing and constantly moving, intricate and complex.

I am unbelievably happy with it.