Peanut

Arachis hypogaea is a plant with many common names including peanut, groundnut, earthnuts, goober peas, monkey nuts, pygmy nuts and pig nuts. Despite it being called a nut, it is a legume that grows up to 50cm tall. It has small yellow flowers 2-4cm across that self-pollinates.

Full sun, moist and sandy-loam soil preferred by this plant. It can grow in sand, loam and clay soils, whether it is acidotic, neutral or alkaline. The peanut has the ability to grow in either very acidic or alkaline soils and although it enjoys moist soils, it cannot stand water logged soils.

New Year

Welcome Lunar New Year! Finally year of the Water Dragon, where this lunar year is said be a good one. At least I hope it will be a good lunar year. The Tai Sui for this year is known as Peng Tai and his direction is South-East, where it is recommended to not sit or sleep facing that direction for the year.

Gods And Goddesses: Aizen Myoo

Aizen Myoo is the deity of love (romantic sexual love in particular) and lust suppression, having the ability to turn lust into spiritual awakening. Of depicted with a ferocious appearance with hair like flames, red skin, six arms, a third eye and a lions head in his hair, Aizen Myoo is a deity who tries to benefit mankind.

Aizen Myoo’s skin was originally white but due to his compassion for living beings, tears of compassion flowed throughout his body. His skin became tinted and hence red.

Totem: Emu

The emu is the flightless bird of Australia, with its size rivalling the ostrich but is the smaller of the two. It has two strong legs, allowing it to run quickly and walk far. A nomadic creature, the emu relies on plants and insects to survive.

As a nomadic bird, the emu does teach that adventures can soon be near. Why not explore and try to find what is sought after? It may be of ease as it may also be of difficultly, but exploring for particular things will be of various challenges.

The emu promotes great spiritual growth through what is needed to achieve such, hard work. To achieve greatness within anything, hard work is of necessity. This however does not mean one should grow arrogant, but remain humble.

Emus use stones to help themselves with digestion. As the emu does this, it teaches the power of stone magic, how to access the powers of stones and crystals.

Prickly Tea-Tree

Leptospermum continentale is the botanical name of a variable shrub known as Prickly Tea-Tree. Its height and width will be 2m typically, but its shape and size can be of variation. Its flowers are 1cm in diameter and most are coloured white but some will be pale pink. These flowers grow in late spring to early summer.

A hardy plant, it tolerates most soils. It takes preference in light shade, and does not well in highly wet, dry or shady conditions. It takes tolerance of drought and to an extent also frost and coastal areas.

Cats And Kittens?

Yes please!

Gods And Goddesses: Daikoku

Daikoku is one of the Seven Lucky Gods of Japan, being a deity of wealth, darkness, the household, kitchen, trade, the earth, agriculture, rice and farmers. Easily recognizable as he wears a flat black hat and carries a sack and hammer. It is not uncommonly for Daikoku to be depicted standing on bales of rice.

Another of the Seven Lucky Gods, Ebisu, is often paired up with Daikoku and as such, if the two are not depicted alone or with the other Seven Lucky Gods the two will be most likely depicted together. This stems from Ebisu being the son of Daikoku. Rats happen to be the animal associated with Daikoku, and is at times seen in depictions of the deity.