By the end of May, I hope to at least have my books that will be for sale. If you would like me to look up a certain book that you would like to purchase, please e-mail us to let us know. I will get anything that people request at a very reasonable price.

Finally, but not least, if you would like to set up a forum at organic openings to discuss a chat subject, we would love to have you do it. Just let us know the time and date. The best way is to put it on the message board, and I will invite people as soon as I see it there.

I just want to write in here to say I think it’s crappy that people can’t let people be their own selves. I don’t think it’s what religion you belong to, I think it’s what’s deep down inside of your heart. God isn’t going to say you are a Catholic, or you are a Buddist, so you’ll go to heaven. He’s going to say okay, you may be a Lutheran, but I don’t see that you have had a good heart, or obeyed my wishes. Someone can be into a spiritual religion all their own, and still follow God’s belief. I do. I follow my own religion. Yet, I still believe in God. So to all you people out there, quit telling people what’s wrong or right. You need to worry about your own heart, not our religion.

~Tammy from Michigan

The Unites States presents a strong contradicition to the rest of the world. As a country we set the highest standards in the world. We have fought and died for freedom, and against racial and religious intolerance. But why is it, we find it so difficult as individuals to live up these standards?

~Dan from Michigan

Last night I watched a show on tv about if an asteroid were to hit the earth, and that it is due to happen. It was the scariest thing I have ever watched. You know they talk about when God comes back, he will take the ones to sit by his side that are believers, and that when it is over, we will all be changed in form. We will be able to walk through walls and stuff. To tell you the truth, I really enjoy being a human being, and I don’t think I would like all of this change. I enjoy being who I am. Anyone-does this make me wrong to feel like this? I need to hear some input.

~Sharon from California

How do you know that the Bible is all truth? Did you know that when the bible was translated from Hebrew, that there were no punctuation, and all the letters were capitalized? Now, if you change just one thing by putting in a comma or a period, you can change the whole meaning of your sentence. How do you or we as a whole know that the Bible is all truth?

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES: The root of the ginseng has for centuries been reputed to be a remedy for cancer,

rheumatism, diabetes, sexual debility, and aging. The claims date back to ancient China, and the root was long of great value

COMMERCIALLY SUPPLIED: Fresh leaves and/or fresh roots may be used in their natural form, but they also may be

found in tablet form, capsules, bark pieces, powders, liquid beverages, extracts, tinctures, lotions, creams, salves, or oils.

Whole dried roots or leaves are available.

APPLICATIONS: Some ways herbs can be used.

Compress: Soak a cloth in a cool herb solution, then apply directly to the injured area.

Decoction: Make a tea from the root, seed, berry, or bark of the herb plant. Simmer the tea, do not boil.

Essential Oils: Oils are distilled from plants or by cold extraction. Usually they are mixed with vegetable oil or water

and used as an inhalant, douche, or tea. Also, they may be used as eyewash, earwash, mouthwash, or used externally for

massage, and to treat cuts and abrasions. Essential oils easily and readily combine with the natural fats and oils of the

skin.

Extracts: Place the herbs in a solvent and soak, allowing the solution to evaporate. This solution is the most effective

form of using herbs when severely or acutely ill. A few of the herb extracts found in health food stores are listed here.

They are very beneficial in healing. May be added to juices and taken while fasting for best results.

Celery

Echinacea

Fig

Goldenseal

Hawthorn

Horsetail

Nettle

Parsley

Pau d’arco

Pumpkin

Red beet crystals

Red clover

Suma

Valerian root

Herb Vinegars: Put herb in raw apple cider vinegar, rice or malt and left to stand for two or more weeks.

Infusion: The tenderest leaf, flower or part of the plant to be used is steeped (not boiled) for five minutes in hot water,

thus the benefits of the herb is not destroyed.

Ointment: A powdered form of an herb added to a salve.

Poultice: A hot, moist, soft mass of herbs, flour, mustard, and other substances is spread on muslin or cloth and applied

for one to eight hours on a sore or inflamed area of the body to relieve pain and inflammation. Ground or granulated

herbs are best. The cloth or muslin should be changed when cooled.

Powder: The useful part of an herb is ground into a powder and is also used in capsule or tablet form. Capsules and

tablets are generally used for certain disorders and should be used no longer than six months at a time.

Syrup: An herb or herbs are added to a form of sugar and then boiled.

Salves: Salves, oils, creams and lotions are generally used on sores, bruises, and inflammations (such as for poultices).

Tincture: Usually, most tinctures contain about 20-50% alcohol. Powdered herbs are added to a water/alcohol

solution. Tinctures keep for a long period of time and should only be used if severely ill.

Tea: To prepare herb tea, use approximately one to three teaspoons of herbs per cup of boiling water. Boil water in a

kettle as you would for other teas but do not use an aluminum kettle. Pour water into a mug or pot, leave herbs to steep

for at least five minutes, but don’t leave for longer than ten minutes or the tea will be bitter. For stronger tea, use more

herb rather than steeping the tea for a longer time. Store herb tea in amber colored jars, never in clear glass jars. The

potency of the herb is destroyed by light. Mild teas may be used daily as tonics and for general health and well-being.

Organic Openings

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Folklore of Bengal

By the word 'folk-lore' a folklorist means myths, legends, folktales, proverbs, riddles, folk verses, folk beliefs, folk

superstitions, customs, folk drama, folk song, folk music, folk dance, ballads, folk cults, folk gods and goddesses, rituals,

festivals, magic, witchcraft, folk art and craft, and variety of forms of artistic expression of oral culture or rural and tribal folks

or unlettered city dwellers that bind man to man. Most of the people from the rural Bengal are guided by the above mentioned

attributes. Unfortunately, those are not available in written form. Details of all those can be available in the memories of the

people.

In Bengali we do not get any narrative poems other than those celebrating the activities of deities or deified heros until we come

to seventeenth century. The framework of these religious poems of Bengal has affinity with the romantic narrative poems of

western Indo-Aryan. The common features are

(i) salutation to Ganesh, the god of success; to Saraswati, the goddess of learning and to other deities at the beginning, followed

by some account of the poet himself;

(ii) the hero and the heroine presented as incarnations of Vishnu or of a semi-divine couple temporarily under course;

(iii) description of town, kings, courts etc;

(iv) description of lovers' pleasures, and pains in each of the 12 months of the year (Baramasya).

Before they took the written form, these tales were recited by the professional storytellers (called Kathaks, Vachaks) attached

to courts of the ruler.

Several local folk cults hitherto confined to outlying regions were now claiming attention. The person who took up the task of

elevating the folktales and songs connected with these cults into class of 'Mangal' poetry was a Kayastha by caste, Krishnadas

by name. He lived in a village about four miles to the north of Calcutta. His first work Kalikamangal, really a version of story of

Vidya Sundar, was written in 1676 when he was only 20 years of age. The second poem Sasthi Mangal was written three

years later, 1679 and the third poem Raymangal in 1686 which continued to be written by others also.

In the later half of the eighteen century quite a number of poets all belonging to South-West RaDha, wrote Sitalamangal poem

of various sizes. One of them was Manickram Ganguli, the author of Dharmamangal poems. The biggest work of the genre was

written by Nityananda Chakravarty who belonged to South-East Midnapur, his work enjoyed high popularity.

The tradition of the Pirs of Bengal has its origin in thirteenth century. A few writers took up folktales to illustrate the might of

Satya-Pir. A north Bengal writer Krishnaharidas, who wrote the biggest poem of the genre at the instance of the Muslim

landlord, exploited local traditional lore. But majority of them wrote very small poems using the same story that was obviously

modelled as per the inspiring episode of Chandimangal and Manasamangal poetry.

The three B's of Bengali folk music are Baul gan, Bhaoyaiya and Bhatiyali. Among these three, Baul gan is the most popular

one. Bhaoyayiya, according to folklorist Chittarajan Deb, is a type of song performed by a group of people in North Bengal

known as Baudiya, who lead lives similar to those of Bauls, but without their religious orientation. Within the Bhaoyaiya

category, Deb includes the song of North Bengal herdsmen, called moisal (from buffalo), and of that region's ox-cart driver

called garoyal (from gari, cart). Bhatiyali are the songs sung by East Bengal boatmen on river so broad that one loses sight of

the shore. When sung in less isolated surroundings, Bhatiyali changes its musical character by adding accompaniment and

meter.

Another type of folk music is Kirtan, usually sung by the Vaishnavas. Kirtans are based on the love stories of Krishna and

Radha, who are the characters from Hindu mythology. There are some occasional folk songs also. The tradition of Hijra singing

for a new birth, and that of young female relatives of the bride singing to welcome the bridegroom, are the examples of the

above mentioned category. Such occasional songs are calendric ones, like those used for the advent and departure

"Agamani-bijoya" of the Goddess Durga in the fall, have validating contexts, and associated with rites of passage or cyclical

religious festivals, the context is necessary for the songs and probably vice versa.

Among the folk dances, Chhou and Gambhira need special mention. Chhou dance is performed by the folks of Purulia district

and it's very popular over there. The other one, Gambhira, is a special type of folk dance popular in the North Bengal,

especially at Malda district.

Reference: A survey of Folklore Study in Bengal, by Sankar Sen Gupta; The Music of Bauls of Bengal by Charles Capwell;

An article by Sambit Basu (development of Bengali urban music) and personal recollection. The pictures are scanned by Mr.

Diganta Das.