Every week I deliver a new issue of The Amber Spirit. The issues will arrive via email around 7am in the morning so you can begin your day with a bountiful array of beautiful discoveries. On average there will be around 4 amazing items that sometimes relate to each other. For example, in issue #1 which you can view below, I discovered the Holstein people of Germany and the cows related to them called Holsteins. Every item is linked to more information for you dig even deeper if you have the time and interest. If there are areas that you would like me to delve into and pull up the magical hidden mysteries of, you can send suggestions by contacting me. So join now and starting being inspired by the world you live in.
The Amber Spirit Issue #1
Touch the wooden gate in the wall
you never saw before,
Say “Please” before you open the latch,
go through,
walk down the path.
— Neil Gaim
99 Reasons Why 2016 Was a Good Year
In the final episode of Raw Craft, season two, Anthony Bourdain and The Balvenie head to Los Angeles to meet with master cobbler, Raul Ojeda of Willie’s Shoe Service. Willie’s Shoe Service has been around since the 50’s and has been creating shoes for Hollywood films and everyday people for decades. Watch as the team constructs perfectly made custom shoes that will last a lifetime.
Discover the wonder and delightful taste of Iran bread from Tehran. You will experience Koolocheh, arguably more a cookie than a bread. Sheermal, a milk-based bread that tellingly has the word ‘Sheer’ or milk in its name and many more delicious breads.
http://www.iliveinafryingpan.com/breads-iran/
The Merry Cemetery (Romanian: Cimitirul Vesel pronounced [t͡ʃimiˈtirul ˈvesel]) is a cemetery in the village of Săpânța, Maramureş county, Romania. It is famous for its colourful tombstones with naïve paintings describing, in an original and poetic manner, the people who are buried there as well as scenes from their lives. The Merry Cemetery became an open-air museum and a national tourist attraction.
The unusual feature of this cemetery is that it diverges from the prevalent belief, culturally shared within European societies – a belief that views death as something indelibly solemn. Connections with the local Dacian culture have been made, a culture whose philosophical tenets presumably vouched for the immortality of the soul and the belief that death was a moment filled with joy and anticipation for a better life (see also Zalmoxianism).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merry_Cemetery
Holstein (German pronunciation: [ˈhɔlʃtaɪn]) (Northern Low Saxon: Holsteen, Danish: Holsten, Latin and historical English: Holsatia) is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider. It is part of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of Germany.
Holstein once existed as the County of Holstein (German: Grafschaft Holstein; 811–1474), the later Duchy of Holstein (German: Herzogtum Holstein; 1474–1866), and was the northernmost territory of the Holy Roman Empire. The history of Holstein is closely intertwined with the history of the Danish Duchy of Schleswig (Danish: Slesvig). The capital of Holstein is Kiel.
Holstein’s name comes from the Holcetae, a Saxon tribe mentioned by Adam of Bremen as living on the north bank of the Elbe, to the west of Hamburg. The name means “dwellers in the wood”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holstein
Holstein (German pronunciation: [ˈhɔlʃtaɪn]) (Northern Low Saxon: Holsteen, Danish: Holsten, Latin and historical English: Holsatia) is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider. It is part of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of Germany.
Holstein once existed as the County of Holstein (German: Grafschaft Holstein; 811–1474), the later Duchy of Holstein (German: Herzogtum Holstein; 1474–1866), and was the northernmost territory of the Holy Roman Empire. The history of Holstein is closely intertwined with the history of the Danish Duchy of Schleswig (Danish: Slesvig). The capital of Holstein is Kiel.
Holstein’s name comes from the Holcetae, a Saxon tribe mentioned by Adam of Bremen as living on the north bank of the Elbe, to the west of Hamburg. The name means “dwellers in the wood”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holstein_Friesian_cattle
As I Roved Out – Andy Irvine 1976
Temari (in Japanese writing,てまり) – “te” means hand, and “mari” means ball – is an ancient folk art form. The Japan Temari Association provides the history of Temari as originating from Kemari (a football/kickball type game), originally coming from China during the Asuka Period (538 to 710). The balls were originally made from deer hide. During the Edo Period (1603 to 1867), women in the Royal Court evolved Kemari to Onna Mari (which then became Temari), and would make brightly colored balls for the little girls. More gentle games of rolling and tossing Temari emerged. The ladies also used Temari making as an opportunity to perfect and show off (even competing) their kagari (kagari means “stitch”, noun and verb), to gain the attention and favor of their favorite princes. Temari were at first made with kakagari (stitch with silk threads), and limited to the upper classes. However, when cotton threads became more easily available common people began making them using cotton (and others such as linen, wool, etc.) thread. This allowed Temari to be made by many women in all areas of Japan (and for them to become favored toys for children), and each prefecture or area established its own recognizable and known style, based on local culture and materials. Temari is a traditional, highly artistic culture and skill in that each design shows the unique characteristics of the maker’s free ideas and creativity. (With thanks to the Japan Temari Association)
See more here:http://www.temarikai.com/