EASTER OR ISHTAR

 

" All is fair in love and war"

Love and war are two very different yet very similar terms. But just how close are these two words?

What if I tell you that there is a goddess who represents both love and war?

Yes, you heard me correct!

 Her name is Ishtar.

She was a goddess of the very first civilization of the world, THE MESOPOTAMIAN CIVILIZATION.

She is not only the goddess of love and war but also fertility, destruction, death, justice, enmity, etc. Being the goddess of so many contradictory terms, her character is often seen as complex as that of the universe. She is also sometimes regarded as the  Queen of the Universe.

Her fierceness on the battlefield is captivating, along with her attire. It is said that even on a battlefield she used to be in her best attire like she was visiting her lover she wore a dashing and fashionable costume in form of armour, her jewellery was a part of her armour and weapons, she is always seen wearing a crown showing her superiority over others. 

You can say she was the eye-catcher of every battle. A goddess so fierce and determined to bring justice was also capable of loving so strongly that it will make you shiver with fear. Her love story was a tragedy just like all famous love stories but to think it was the first love story ever created had its own dark twist.

Ishtar's lover was Tammuz, their affectionate love and courtship was one of a kind but it was deemed to end in tragedy.

It is said that the goddess went to visit the underworld where her sister the Queen of Underworld resides, to show her compassion for the demise of her brother in law.  But her form was not anywhere near that of grief, she was instead dressed like in a battlefield. Her sister thought she was coming to conquer the underworld her ambitious nature was always feared by gods, so Ereshkigal ( the Queen of Underworld) devised a cunning plan to strip Ishtar of her power. 

According to Mesopotamian mythology, one has to pass through seven gates to enter the underworld and at each gate, she had to undressing one item of her wearing and thus gradually getting stripped of her power. In the end, it is seen that she stood completely naked in front of her sister, totally stripped off her powers and Ereshkigal took the opportunity and killed her.

No! the story does not end here.

After the death of Ishtar, the world went on a rampage with infertility, lack of intimacy and cease of a love affair. In this scenario Ea the God of wisdom made a master plan to revive Ishtar from Underworld. His plot did succeed but as the ancient Mesopotamian saying goes 

"No one comes from Underworld unmarked"

The hole created in the underworld by taking Ishtar back to the upper world needed to be filled, Ishtar chose to substitute her place in the underworld with the one who is least faithful to her.

The first person she visited was her handmaiden, but she saw her wearing rags and still grieving, so she left her and visited her two sons she was satisfied to see them both grieving like this the last person she visited was her husband Tammuz.

If you think that Tammuz was a mess and killed himself then nope you are wrong.

Ishtar was appalled to see her husband sitting on the throne peacefully with no sign of grief on his face of his clothes. She became enraged with his behaviour and order to take him as her substitute in the underworld.

Do you see why I told you there is a dark twist in her love story?

Does it make her a villain, someone who is able to sacrifice her loved ones for her sole purpose?

I don't think so, Ishtar is the goddess of Love and War, two forces so strong that they can solely destroy or build a life. She is a symbol of the balance of the universe, For her, a battle can only be just if all the warriors are loyal to their kingdoms and as the Goddess of justice, she found her own husband unfaithful.

Ishtar was the patron goddess Eanna temple of Uruk. Underworld left a mark on her but if she was evil then she wouldn't be a patron goddess. Ishtar is associated with the planet Venus ( which is also the Roman goddess of love synonymous with Aphrodite but Ishtar's character is a lot more complex than Aphrodite).  Innana and Astarte are two other names synonymous with Ishtar. 

The famous symbols of Ishtar included the lion and the eight-pointed star, a symbol that has shown its face in many other mythologies.

Ishtar's revenge has been scorned upon by many historians deeming her as a fickle-minded person but on the other side her complex character is what made her more interesting and connecting, she teaches the lesson that unfaithfulness in a bond as sacred love is a crime itself whose punishment should be as cruel as death.

 In this context, we must remember that she is also the goddess of justice and as the Queen of the universe it is her duty to maintain the harmony between good and evil and the factor she chose for her substitute in the underworld is loyalty. So Tammuz wouldn't have ended there if he had shown his grief over losing her. Thus Tammuz was not a victim just guilty.

# factopedia01- The character of Wonder woman is said to be inspired by Ishtar.

Now, many people will be thinking why I am rambling about Ishtar, an ancient mesopotamian goddess of fertility on Good Friday?

Well to answer your questions let us recall some facts about Easter.

Why is Easter celebrated?

Easter is celebrated to remember the resurrection of Christ from death. The so-called Easter egg is seen as a form of new life and has been synchronized with the Christian legend to represent new life. 

The resurrection of Christ stand victoriously as proof of him being the son of god and sends the message of the success of his faith even after his death.

In meantime, Judas the infamous betrayer was burned with guilt, he even tried to return the money back to the governor. In the end, when he couldn't carry the guilt anymore he committed suicide.

If by now you have connected the dots then bravo.

But if you haven't then let me do it for you.

Now, if you remember someone else who also came back from death. Someone who was also wronged by her loved ones. Someone who judged people on the basis of loyalty and faith. Someone who stood as the symbols of balance.

Yes, I am talking about Ishtar, the ancient goddess. 

The legend of Ishtar was moulded into Easter to create an umbrella religion for all. To unite the people of Europe with a single religion and thus Ishtar's story and resurrection of Jesus gave birth to Easter.

It is sad to see that  Goddess Ishtar's worship was later seen as satanic when it originally paved way for one of the most important faiths of Christianity "Easter". Now it's time to ask yourself will you only talk about Easter or also remember the original goddess with it.

                                Blue rose belles

                                    ( Archie)

Killer Potatoes

   

In 1979 about 78 students mysteriously fell ill at a small boys school in London. While the initial symptoms started with vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, the incident quickly alarmed everyone when several patients slipped into coma. Not only that, the patients were seen to have violent fits of fever along with convulsions. Signs of depression in the central nervous system and peripheral circulatory collapse were also noticed.

Can you believe all of a sudden few healthy students falling ill simultaneously? And it was so severe that most of them were comatose?

Do you know who is the culprit?

Guess!

Well, the answer is ( drumroll please)

Potatoes!

Yes, you heard me right! a bag full of potatoes was the culprit.

How?

Well, if you have already read the article on poisonous plants, you would have guessed by now, the potatoes were high in solanine concentration.

An investigation found out the bag of potatoes was kept in storage for over a year. It so happened that some parts of the potatoes turned green, indicating the formation of chlorophyll due to sunlight. The green parts of the plant are usually high in solanine concentration. Thus, those parts are eliminated or the potatoes are not used for cooking at all. but in this case, those parts were not excluded and so the results were drastic.

Potato belongs to the Solanaceae family, or better known as the nightshade family, the main toxic of this family is Solanine, which is a glycoalkaloid. Solanine poisoning can cause diarrhea, stomach pain, headache, nausea, hypothermia, and fever while extreme effects can be respiratory problems, convulsions, and even death.

In 1899, 56 german soldiers suffered from solanine poisoning after having boiled potatoes. Though all of them recovered some were observed with partial paralysis. In 1922, an epidemic broke out in Germany whose roots were abnormal content of solanine in potatoes. In 1983, 61 of 109 students and staff at a school in Alberta, fell ill after consuming baked potatoes, that was bitter and green.

The list does not end here!

In 1918, 61 people from 18 different families in Glasglow suffered from solanine poisoning, one of the victims was a five-year-old boy, who didn't survive. The cause of solanine poisoning was found out to be a batch of bad potatoes that had five to six times more solanine content than normal. The case is discussed in the book " an investigation of Solanine poisoning" by S.G Willimont, he cites that that solanine poisoning is not so rare as authorities claimed to be.

Potatoes may look innocent but they belong to the same family as nightshade. 

Nowadays, the potatoes and other nightshade plants are checked before selling in markets. The number of Solanine poisoning has decreased after it's awareness but still sometimes there could be a risk of poisoning, so one should check the potato before cooking. Now I can't tell you the same about potato chips or French fries that you buy but most of the times restaurants and companies check their products, or else they would be sued. So no need to go on a diet.

According to a British medical journal, solanine poisoning is high during a food shortage. In times of food scarcity people try to survive on whatever they get, so if they find potatoes with green parts, they won't mind having them. But poison does not see your adversity, it just does it's work. The results of this incidents turn out to be disastrous as the people who suffer from this situation, don't even know what those potatoes could do if ingested and by the time they know it's too late.

Thus, the underprivileged section of society, easily becomes target of these killer potatoes.

                            Blue rose belles 

                                   ( Archie)

Reference corner

http://bluerosebelles.blogspot.com/2021/03/poison-plants.html

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/green-potatoes

POISON PLANTS

 While reading mystery and crime novels, we come across poisons like nightshades, hemlock, poison ivy, etc. What are these exactly? 

Yes, they are poisonous plants, but exactly which part? 

So, today as a tribute to World Wildlife Day ( 3rd March), let us talk about these lethal plants.

Because Wild is both Dangerous and Beautiful.

NIGHTSHADE

Tomatoes

I guess it is one of the most common vegetables, from chicken pakora to samosa, tomato sauce is a must.

But do you all know tomatoes are from the nightshade family?

Shocked!

Well, tomatoes are not the only ones' brinjal, potatoes, and capsicum are also from the same category.

So are they all poisonous, Well you wouldn't be reading this if it was?

The group of nightshades plants belongs to the Solanaceae family, a well-known family in the plant kingdom. The chemical that makes nightshades lethal is called SOLANINE, which is a glycoalkaloid. Solanine or nightshade poisoning directly affects the digestive and nervous system.

The first steps of Solanine poisoning start from nausea, vomiting, diphtheria, stomach cramps, etc. Severe symptoms can include hypothermia, cardiac dysrhythmia, headache, fever, jaundice, dizziness, hallucinations, paralysis, or even death.

This solanine is present in all of the plants of the Solanaceae family.

Have you felt a bitter taste in vegetables?, or maybe itchiness after having brinjal?, that is because of the presence of Solanine.

Now you must be wondering how are you alive right now?

Well then, let me tell you that the solanine quantity in ripe berries and fresh parts is far below toxic levels, so having them in your diet does not affect that much. Not to mention the high antioxidant and vitamins of the vegetables by far outweighs the amount of toxic substances entering your system.

But... but...but

Beware!

If you are having unripe berries or greenish potatoes. The level of solanine in these vegetables can be enough to cause illness. Yes, and don't try to taste the leaves or stems of these plants because I can't guarantee you will be alive to read our next article if you do so.

Now let us talk about the nightshade we all have heard of, the nightshade that can kill you in a matter of few seconds - THE DEADLY NIGHTSHADE.

Atropa belladonna, belladonna, which means a beautiful lady, in Italian is the deadly nightshade. According to Greek mythology, three fates are responsible for the spinning of human life, the third one who severs the thread is called Atropos (meaning inexorable or inflexible). As the name suggests, a tincture of the berries was used as beautifying by Venetian women to dilate their pupils and redden eyes.

.                                                          

                                                        The deadly nightshade

The perennial plant can easily deceive anyone with its innocent looks, the fruits look like ordinary ripe and juicy berries but that's where all the similarities end. Due to the presence of three very toxic chemicals, Atropine, Hyoscyamine, and Scopolamine, the plant becomes so deadly. Solanum niger ( black nightshade) and Solanum dulcamara ( woody nightshade) share the same fate as their sibling but they contain some different chemicals besides Solanine.

The plant that began its journey as a beautifying agent soon became a weapon for assassins. Each and every part of this plant is lethal. A few drops can paralyze a grown adult. According to myths, nightshade was one of the main components of witches' potion.  Belladonna has also killed two famous Roman emperors, Augustus, and Claudius. Quite interesting is the fact that it was their wives who murdered them.

 Atropa belladonna is so lethal that, by chance, if there is skin-to-skin contact, the plant can very well start acting, starting with itchiness and redness, and if the skin is wounded, then it can seep into your bloodstream and even cause death.

Even though the plant is lethal and dangerous, many medicinal values of the plant have been discovered. The plant is used in treating hay fever, whooping cough, etc. It is also used as a pain reliever, muscle relaxer, and anti-inflammatory drug.

HEMLOCK

Socrates was sentenced to death for corrupting the minds of Athenian youths, he wasn't hanged but handed a cup of poison, the poison is famously known by the name hemlock. Yet, the plant species that went by the common name of "hemlock" was not native to Europe.

Even more interesting is the fact, hemlock refers to 14 species of coniferous plants belonging to the genus Tsuga, native to central and eastern Asia and North America, which are not poisonous at all.

But we all know that hemlock was the sole weapon in a lot of murder cases. then how can it be not poisonous?

The poisonous hemlock, we all know about is actually called 'Poison Hemlock' ( Conium maculatum ), i.e. not at all related to the Hemlock family, in fact, it belongs to the carrot family ( Apiaceae), the name hemlock was given because they have a similar smell to the hemlock family.

Poison hemlock is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant native to Europe and North America, every part of this plant is deadly, not only that poison hemlocks can spread poisons to the other plants nearby, So it is advised to uproot these shrubs when they are spotted near crop fields, the toxic chemical coniine is the main culprit for the lethality of the plants.

The symptoms of hemlock poisoning, start with excitation of nerves, causing nervousness to tremors, salivation, etc, severe toxicity can cause a decrease in heart rate, breathing problems, leading to respiratory failure, and eventually death, the time of death can vary from few minutes to few hours, depending on the level of toxicity.

Water hemlock (Cicuta), is considered as one of the most toxic plants of North America, the Circutoxin found in the plant directly affects the central nervous system causing violent convulsions, severe toxicity can cause mal seizures that consecutively lead to death.

Interestingly, both plants have been used in medical science for a long time. Due to the narcotic property of poison hemlock, it was often used as a sedative and pain reliever. The plant is also used in treating epilepsy, rabies, whooping cough, etc. The antidote for Strychnine poisoning is also obtained from poison hemlock, it also plays a valuable role in the homeopathic treatment of cancer. 

POISON IVY

From the name, if you think it's poisonous and deadly, You are so wrong!

Poison Ivy is not deadly, the sap of the plant contains an irritant that causes allergic reactions. The sap is also called Toxicodendron, which contains oil urushiol, the irritant. Allergic reactions can start if you come in contact with the oil, via an agent, or directly through the plant. An agent can include any surface or equipment or even pets that came in contact with the oil. 

Skin contact can show redness, itching, swelling, and sometimes the formation of painful blisters, these allergic reactions are better known as contact dermatitis. The formation of rashes depends upon the severity of urushiol contact.

However, in severe cases, you need to head to the doctor, like when the rashes or swelling covers a large part of your body, or you are having difficulty in breathing, or maybe the formation of rashes on the face and genitals. Respiratory problems can occur if someone inhales the smoke of burning poison ivy.

So, don't plan revenge on the plant by burning it.

Interestingly, Toxicodendron is very much used in homeopathy for treating cramps, sprains, flu, viral infection, etc. 

MISTLETOE

While kissing under mistletoe sounds romantic, ingesting it can be fatal. 

Mistletoe is a hemiparasitic plant of families Loranthaceace, Misodendraceae, and Santalaceae that mainly grows on apple, lime, and Hawthorn trees. The plant is native to Europe, and a very persistent parasite, it does not die until the host does. The toxic content is high in leaves and berries of the plant, though an adult can survive after ingesting two to three berries, children and pets are more susceptible to the poisoning. The type of toxic chemical varies from one species to another but all of them show the same symptoms. A tea made from mistletoe is considered to be deadlier than berries.

Like all the above poisonous plant's mistletoe also has certain therapeutic uses.  Since ancient times, the plant has been used in the treatment of arthritis, high blood pressure, epilepsy, infertility, etc.

Do you know? according to Mythology, the Celtic Druids of the 1st century began associating the plants with romance. Since mistletoe could even bloom in frozen winter, they saw it as a sacred symbol of vivacity and administered it for restoring fertility.

And surprising it worked!

Ancient greeks even went a step ahead and used it to cure almost everything, even menstruation cramps. But girls do not try this step, you don't want to end up with both diarrhea and cramps, Right!

There are many more stories related to mistletoe legends, let that be a topic for later. 

If you enjoyed today's article, don't forget to subscribe for more. 

                                                                                                  blue rose belles

                                                                                                                     ( Archie)

reference corner

https://www.ambius.com/blog/botany-gone-bad-the-history-of-the-deadly-nightshade-plant/

https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/ethnobotany/Mind_and_Spirit/belladonna.shtml

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/solanine_poisoning_how_does_it_happen

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/solanine

Britannica (hemlock)

Loranthaceae, Misodendraceae, and Santalaceae, 

mistletoe

THE BLUE ROSE

 A Blue Rose.

How many of us have actually seen a blue rose? How many of us were lucky enough to touch a blue rose? To smell a blue rose? I bet a thousand stars that none of us have actually done any of the above. The reason behind this is very simple. A blue rose doesn't exist. It never graced Earth with it's presence.

The pigment which causes the blue colour of a rose is absent in them naturally.

It is human nature to reach the unreachable, to gain the unattainable, to dream of the undreamed. So a "Blue Rose" became the symbol of mystery, unattainable, the dark side of life, the magic, the hope that allows to dream the undreamed. It stands for the deepest canyon of our imagination.

      a depiction of the blue rose. 

A blue rose, the desire to have it all.

This symbolism of the mystifying element of life has been mentioned in literature and folklore of various cultures.

One of the mentions can be found in an ancient Chinese folklore.

It is a story of a beautiful and strong headed princess who desired to find love. Her father, the king of his kingdom wanted his daughter to get married and forced her to get married. The princess had to succumb to her father's wishes since good princesses never refuse, but she was strong headed and was known for her knowledge and wisdom across the kingdom. She presented her father with a agreement, a deal. She said that she being the daughter of her father, the strong and majestic king, she deserved the best of best. So, she will only marry the one who can present her with a blue rose. The king agreed and word of this agreement flied across faraway lands. Suitors from all around the world wanted to marry the princess. One suitor, presented the princess with a white rose painted blue. The princess knew that he was deceiving her with a dyed white rose. Angrily, she refused him. The next suitor presented her with a blue rose sculpted by the bluest of sapphire ever to be seen. The princess refused him as well since it was the work of a human and not of of the almighty god above. Another suitor visited a witch who gave him a illusion spell of a blue rose. When the suitor presented the princess with the illusion spell she refused him since he was trying to deceive her. Suitors came and went since no one could give the princess what she desired. One night she was taking a walk in her garden when she heard someone singing in the garden. She followed the voice and found the gardener's son singing a song about love. The princess was dazed by his heavenly melody and sat there for hours listening to his songs about his love for the princess. The princess was really touched with his songs and she sang him a song telling him about the story of the blue rose while her heart fluttered in her heart. The next morning, the gardener's song entered the court with a white rose, freshly plucked from the garden. When the rose was presented to the princess she smiled and said "This is a blue rose" . The entire court screamed that it was a white rose but the princess was known for her knowledge and wisdom. So the king announced that the rose was indeed blue because his daughter said so. The princess got married to the gardener's son, her lover. 

The story ends there. The blue symbolized the rarest of rare, the unattainable in this story. 

Another mention was found in a story named "The thief of Baghdad" where it was mentioned if you ever smelled a blue rose, you will forget everything.

Another important cultural mention of The blue rose involves Christianity. 

The order of the blue rose. 

Legend says, that Mary Magdalene, also known as Miriam ( in armanian) formed this order right after the crucifixion of her beloved husband, Yahshua ( translated to Jesus in English). 

 

           Mary Magdalene (Miriam) 

Miriam and Yahshua were co-messiah. They were married legally in Cana. Miriam( Mary Magdalene) was the rightful successor to Yahshua( Jesus). In many ancient scriptures they were also adressed as Lord ans Lady Christ. They walked on earth more than 2,000 years ago. The night Miriam conceived Yashua's child, known as the "Holy grail child", Yashua gifted his beloved Miriam a Blue Rose. The blue rose, stood as a symbol for hope in Miriam's heart. She wore the blue rose in her hair when she conceived " The holy grail" Child. 

The very next morning, Yashua was arrested and crucified. Since the weight of the church and followers fell on Miriam's shoulder, she became the next target for the male followers of Yashua. In the patriarcal society, the male followers refused to follow a woman, who carriers the heir of Yashua. To protect herself and her baby, she formed the order of the blue rose with her closest followers. She used the blue rose given to her by her beloved Yashua to initiate the order, hence the name. Among her followers were some who belonged to an ancient group of people, know as the Essence or esseners. The closest group of Miriam's followers followed her to France, where they formed a group know as the Order of Magdalene. In France was were she had her daughter and then the bloodline was lost in time. The rest of her followers fled to various continents across the globe. The blue rose given to Miriam was saved by her dried and preseved and was used in all the rituals of the Order of the blue rose. 

        Miriam and Yahshua (Mary Magdalene and Jesus) 

The Esseners. 

The ancient esseners are known to be the extraordinary people to grace Earth. They were based in ancient Israel and ancient Egypt. 

They were commonly known as healers. In Israel they were called "Assaya" . In Egypt they were known as " Therapeutae" From which the word "therapist" Was derived. They knew some magic, some mystical way of living which helped them to heal themselves and the others. They where known to live for more than a hundred years, while the others who were not essensners would only live upto the age of forty-two. The esseners migrated to various continents around the globe when due to some unknown reason they decided to went underground. 

      ancient esseners. 

In the very early 1970s, a teenager David "Day" Came across a very old man, a sage who recently migrated to America from Egypt. That sage was known  as "Malachi". Malachi took Day under his wing and taught him everything. Day got to know the secrets of the esseners and about the order of blue rose which was passed on into esseners as well. Soon, Malachi decided that Day was a worthy successor. 

Day later opened the mordern Essence church of Christ and the Order of the blue rose. 

There headquarters are based in a natural paradise compound in triangle Park in Oregon, USA. 

They believe that the fact that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute was a gross mistake made by the Catholic Church. They are the true followers of Mary Magdalene, the members of the Order Of the Blue Rose. 

They don't hold any services, like a normal church but they do give lessons about the esseners and the order of the blue rose in a program known as the Essence Order of the Blue Rose. 

     mordern esseners performing rituals. 

The blue rose. It holds the keys to many mystery which of unlocked will change our world. Even though we are not lucky as Lady Christ to see a blue rose, scientists in the year 2004 created a blue rose which contained a pigment known as delphinidin with the help of genetic engineering. 

   

     genetically engineered blue roses(they are very expensive) 

I am sure you must have noticed the name of this page by now. "The blue rose society" And as the name suggestes we want to stay true to the symbolism of the blue rose, to write about the mysteries that are forgotten, to write about the dark side of life, to write about the unattainable, the undreamed of. 

If you are interested in knowing about the mysteries and dark side of life, I highly suggest you to subscribe to this blog. I hope you enjoyed this blog and I will see you guys a next time. 

With love, Anisha ❤