Trees go to sleep at night, study shows

The next time you camping in the forest sleeping in your tent, remember, the trees are sleeping as well.

That's the conclusion of a team of scientists from Austria, Finland and Hungary who wanted to know if trees followed day/night cycles similar to those observed in small plants. 

Using laser scanners pointed at two birch trees, the scientists recorded physical changes indicating a nighttime sleep, with the ends of the birch branches drooping by as much as 4 inches towards the end of the night.

"Our results show that the whole tree droops during night which can be seen as position change in leaves and branches," Eetu Puttonen from the Finnish Geospatial Research Institute said in a statement. "The changes are not too large, only up to 10 cm for trees with a height of about 5 meters, but they were systematic and well within the accuracy of our instruments."

A birch tree at night (left) experiences more branch dropping than during the day (right).

 (Photo: Eetu Puttonen/Vienna University of Technology, TU Vienna)

The scientists explained how they scanned two trees, one in Finland and another in Austria. 

Both trees were scanned independently, on calm nights, and around the solar equinox to ensure a similar length of night. 

While the tree's branches were shown to droop lowest just before dawn, they returned to their original position in only a few hours.

"It was a very clear effect, and applied to the whole tree," András Zlinszky of the Centre for Ecological Research in Tihany, Hungary, told New Scientist. "No one has observed this effect before at the scale of whole trees, and I was surprised by the extent of the changes."

The Magic of Candles

Candles are scientifically proven to soothe us. 

The gentle, mesmerising quality of their light makes them a perfect aid for any relaxation experience.

It’s a candle’s flame that helps to soothe our soul – reducing stress and increasing self-awareness. 

The soft illumination helps us to calm down and even achieve a meditative state.

But how does a candle flame help to calm us down and relax our minds?

The low light that comes from a candle is captured by your sight and sent straight to your brain for processing. 

Because of our associations with candlelight, the body begins to relax – helping how we feel emotionally and physically.

Some of the perks of feeling more relaxed include more energy, better sleep, enhanced immunity, less pain and a more pleasant personality.

It's interesting that most people have candles in their homes, we really don't have to use them, we do have electricity. 

We light candles even though we don't have to, yet, candles are more popular than ever, you wouldn’t find many homes without them.

Could it be that a simple candle flame can soothe and center you?

Is it possible that fire, one of the Pagan elements, have calming effects during times of quiet and solitude, when you detached from the world?

Candle flames reach deep within us, the effect of candlelight is sacred tool to reduce stress and increase self-awareness. 

Candle magic is something very basic because anyone can light a candle.

The flame is very special, we believe it represents your inner light.

For us, the flame expresses power and magical qualities but the energies come from your consciousness, from your inner self.

Candle magic may have begun in the earliest days, with the making of fire. 

Fire changed everything.

Fire brought light to darkness and warmth to cold, there's not much more magical than that.

For us, the burning of a candle represents the great spiritual qualities of its discovery.

Lighting a candle and gazing at the flame takes us within ourselves, taking us into a meditative state.

Anyone can use candle magic and you don't have to have to have any specific beliefs to practice, using your energy answers will open up for you.

Spells

Science: Cats Are Healers

Cats are special, they have abilities and powers and there is a spiritual bond that we have with cats dating back to ancient Egypt.

Cats were once worshiped as gods and played a vital role in Egyptian culture and we can still benefit from their incredible powers of intuition, their loyalty to us.

It's no secret that the Pagan Kitchen loves cats.

Cats are not only our friends and companions, they are family.

 
Besides all that, scientific studies have shown time and time again that cats are extremely therapeutic, and may actually be a good form of medicine for people suffering from heart conditions.
Did you realize that owning a cat can reduce your risk of a heart attack?

This is the result of a 10 year study of more than 4,000 Americans by researchers at the University of Minnesota’s Stroke Institute in Minneapolis.

After a 10 year follow up period, cat owners showed a 40% lower risk of death from heart attack compared to non cat owners.
This was due to a lower heart rate, lower stress levels, and lower blood pressure. Lowering your risk of a heart attack by 40%.

This is a big deal, 40% gives holistic healers and even heart medications a run for their money.

Besides the improved heart health, cats also cause a release of oxytocin in the brain. Oxytocin is a feel-good chemical as well as healing to the body. 

Serotonin and dopamine are also released in the brain as you are playing with your cat, which reduces stress and puts the body into a harmonious state and stabilizes your immune system.

There is also this:
Pet owners are less likely to suffer from depression than those without pets.

People with pets have lower blood pressure in stressful situations than those without pets.

Pet owners have lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels (indicators of heart disease) than those without pets.

Heart attack patients with pets survive longer than those without.

Pet owners over age 65 make 30 percent fewer visits to their doctors than those without pets.

A cat purring offer healing power as well.
According to an article published in Scientific American, cats purr during both inhalation and exhalation with a consistent pattern and frequency between 25 and 150 Hertz. Various investigators have shown that sound frequencies in this range can improve bone density and promote healing.
You may find that having a cat on your chest while it purrs feels like a complete regeneration.

This is because the frequency of the cats purr is literally healing your cells.

Alzheimer’s patients have fewer anxious outbursts if they live with a companion animal.

Pet owners with AIDS are far less likely to suffer from depression than those without pets.

People who suffer from high blood pressure, then adopt a cat or dog, navigate stressful situations with lower blood pressure than people who don’t have pets.

Heart attack patients who have pets survive longer than those without.

When you interact with cats, they don’t judge you, interrogate you, belittle you, or comment on you.  They simply love you.

Cats with their special healing gifts were recognized by the ancient Egyptians as Gods,