Relationships

The Value of Patience

Patience is a strong quality that is often underestimated and for many extremely difficult to have. It is one of those attributes that can come naturally to some and is acquired with training and self-awareness by others. What does it mean to be patient and why is it so critical? While at a café chatting ...

Laura Cozzolino

Rocks stacked on top of each other.

What Happens During Ragnarok: The Norse End Times

Fans of Marvel films will be familiar with the word “Ragnarok.” Ragnarok basically refers to the final apocalypse in viking Norse mythology, much like the “End Times” prophesied in the Bible. Ragnarok “The word ‘Ragnarok’ comes from Old Norse Ragnarok, ‘Fate of the Gods.’ In an apparent play on words, some pieces of Old Norse ...

Armin Auctor

Norse mythology's Ragnarok.

Sage: The Holy Herb

In the plant world, the salvia family (which is literally “rat-tail-grass” in Chinese) includes nearly 1,000 species, including sage. The great numbers of both reflect the inherent vitality. Salvia is the largest genus of plants in the Lamiaceae family, which consists of aromatic plants and herbs such as lavender, mint, and rosemary. It is widely ...

Helen London

Sage plants in bloom.

Archaeologists Find Lost City That May Have Conquered the Kingdom of Midas

Archaeologists from the Oriental Institute have discovered a lost ancient kingdom dating from 1400 B.C. to 600 B.C., which may have defeated Phrygia, the kingdom ruled by King Midas, in battle. University of Chicago scholars and students were surveying a site with Turkish and British colleagues last summer in southern Turkey called Türkmen-Karahöyük, when a ...

Troy Oakes

The archaeological mound at Türkmen-Karahöyük.

More Reasons to Be Kind: It’s Good for Your Health

Right from childhood, one of the moral teachings imparted to all people is to be kind toward others. In this regard, there is no debate between religious or atheist groups. Being kind not only benefits those you help, but it is also good for your health. Promotes happiness A 2010 survey conducted by the Harvard ...

Raven Montmorency

A smiling young woman.

When Shaolin Monks Came to Aid the Tang Emperor

In our minds, Buddhist monks are men of peace, unyielding understanding, and nonselective compassion. Well, that is true. But for the Shaolin monks? Well, they can be a force to reckon with if you happen to land on their bad side. A short history of Shaolin monks It is said that the Buddhist monk Buddhabhadra, ...

Emma Lu

The Shaolin Temple.

History and Traditions of Japan’s Ainu People

The Ainu are the indigenous people of Japan. According to official data, there are about 25,000 living in the country. However, some estimate that the population numbers over 200,000. History of the Ainu How the Ainu people originated is largely unclear. One theory suggests that “Ainu people are remnants of the Jomon-jin, or the hunter-gathers ...

Armin Auctor

The Ainu of Japan.

3 Ancient Cures for a Disease-Ridden Modern World

They say modern problems require modern solutions; but sometimes, the answers we look for are all readily available when you look into the past. In the field of medicine, traditional cures and practices are as relevant and important as modern-day medicines. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), traditional medicine (TM), known in the scientific ...

Emma Lu

The Unani system of medicine.

Taoist Warriors of Wudang Mountain

Wudang Mountain — the birthplace of Tai Chi. Set within the peaks and cliffs of the mountain lies a cluster of Taoist temples where Taoist warriors practice Tai Chi. At the end of staircases up into the temples are courtyards filled with warriors focused on their training, swinging fans adorned with the symbol of yin ...

Armin Auctor

A Taoist temple.

Covid-19 Update: Global Outbreak Raises Fears of Pandemic

Fears are growing that the COVID-19 outbreak could reach a pandemic scale as more cases emerge around the world. A pandemic is when an infectious disease spreads easily from person to person in many parts of the world. What we know More than 77,000 people in China, where the virus emerged last year, have been ...

Jack Roberts

A couple wearing face masks.