Apache Tear Drop:

Apache tear drop is a form of black obsidian. It is a calming translucent stone, found in Arizona and other parts of the U.S. It is composed of feldspar, hornblend, biotite and quartz. It was formed by rhythmic crystallization that produces a separation of light and dark materials into spherical shapes, and is a form of volcanic glass. There is a haunting legend about the Apache tear drop. After the Pinal Apaches had made several raids on a settlement in Arizona, the military regulars and some volunteers trailed the tracks of the stolen cattle and waited for dawn to attack the Apaches.

The Apaches, confident in the safety of their location, were completely surprised and out-numbered in the attack. Nearly 50 of the band of 75 Apaches were killed in the first volley of shots. The rest of the tribe retreated to the cliff’s edge and chose death by leaping over the edge rather than die at the hands of the white men. For years afterward those who ventured up the treacherous face of Big Pacacho in Arizona found skeletons, or could see the bleached bones wedged in the crevices of the side of the cliff.

The Apache women and the lovers of those who had died gathered a short distance from the base of the cliff where the sands were white, and for a moon they wept for their dead. They mourned greatly, for they realized that not only had their 75 brave Apache warriors died, but with them had died the great fighting spirit of the Pinal Apaches. Their sadness was so great, and their burden of sorrow so sincere that the Great Father imbedded into black stones the tears of the Apache women who mourned their dead.

These black obsidian stones, when held to the light, reveal the translucent tear of the Apache. The stones bring good luck to those possessing them. It is said that whoever owns an Apache tear drop will never have to cry again, for the Apache maidens have shed their tears in place of yours.

The Apache tear drops are also said to balance the emotional nature and protect one from being taken advantage of. It can be carried as an amulet to stimulate success in business endeavors. It is also used to produce clear vision and to increase psychic powers. Black obsidian is a powerful meditation stone.

The purpose of this gemstone is to bring to light that which is hidden from the conscious mind. It dissolves suppressed negative patterns and purifies them. It can create a somewhat radical behavior change as new positive attitudes replace old, negative, egocentric patterns.

Also See: Apache Tear Drops

(See also: Apache Tear Drop , Magic, Shamanism, Paganism, Wicca)

Snowflake Obsidian: Snowflake obsidian is a striking black, lustrous opaque stone with grayish/white bold markings, much like the beautiful patterns of snowflakes on a black background. It is a form of volcanic, amorphous, siliceous glassy rock. This form of obsidian is found in Utah.

Snowflake obsidian is said to sharpen both the external and the internal vision. It is one of the most important “teachers” of the New Age stones. It is the warrior of truth, and shows the self where the ego is at, and what it must change in order to advance to the next step of evolutionary growth.

(See also: Snowflake Obsidian , Magic, Shamanism, Paganism, Wicca)

Yawning

• If you yawn in your dreams, you will search in vain for health and contentment.
• To see others yawning, foretells that you will see some of your friends in a miserable state. Sickness will prevent them from their usual labors.

Source: 10 000 Dream Interpretations, by Gustavus Hindman Miller

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Yawning , Meaning of Dreams about Yawning , Dream Interpretation Yawning )

Commerce was practised to some extent in very early times, as is proved by the distribution of Melian obsidian over all the Aegean area and by the Nilotic influence on early Minoan art. We find Cretan vessels exported to Melos, Egypt and the Greek mainland. Melian vases came in their turn to Crete. After 1600 B.C. there is very close commerce with Egypt, and Aegean things had their way to all coasts of the Mediterranean. No traces of currency have come to light, unless certain axeheads, too slight for practical use, had that character. Stand ...

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Aegean civilization, Aegean civilization - Distinctive features, Aegean civilization - Indigenous script, Aegean civilization - Art, Aegean civilization - Architecture, Aegean civilization - History of Aegean Civilization, Aegean civilization - Origin and continuity, Aegean civilization - Chronology., Aegean civilization - Annals, Aegean civilization - Political Organization, Aegean civilization - Religion, Aegean civilization - Social Organization, Aegean civilization - Commerce, Aegean civilization - Treatment of the Dead, Aegean civilization - Artistic Production, Aegean civilization - Evidence of Aegean civilization, Aegean civilization - The discovery of Aegean civiliation, Aegean civilization - External link

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In the 8th and 9th centuries CE Classic Maya culture went into decline, with most of the cities of the central lowlands abandoned. Warfare, ecological depletion of croplands, and drought or some combination of those factors are usually suggested as reasons for the decline. There is archaeological evidence of warfare, famine, and revolt against the elite at various central lowlands sites. However, there i ...

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Maya civilization, Maya civilization - Origins, Maya civilization - Art, Maya civilization - Architecture, Maya civilization - Urban design, Maya civilization - Building materials, Maya civilization - Building process, Maya civilization - Notable constructions, Maya civilization - Writing and literacy, Maya civilization - Writing system, Maya civilization - Writing tools, Maya civilization - Scribes, Maya civilization - Literacy, Maya civilization - Mathematics, Maya civilization - Religion, Maya civilization - Agriculture, Maya civilization - Decline of the Maya, Maya civilization - Rediscovery of the Pre-Columbian Maya, Maya civilization - List of Maya sites, Maya civilization - Most important sites, Maya civilization - Other important Maya sites, Maya civilization - Reference

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Vitrification is a process of converting a material into a glass-like amorphous solid which is free of any crystalline structure, either by the quick removal or addition of heat, or by mixing with an additive. For example when sucrose is cooled slowly it results in crystal sugar (or "rock candy"), but when cooled rapidly it can form syrupy "cotton candy" or lollipops. When the starting material is solid, vitrification usually involves heating the substances to very high temperatures. Many ceramics are produced in such a manner. ...

Including:

• Vitrification - Applications
• Vitrification - Notes
• Vitrification - Reference

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The mineraloid opal is amorphous SiO2·nH2O; hydrated silicon dioxide, the water content sometimes being as high as 20%. Opal ranges from colorless through white, milky blue, gray, red, yellow, green, brown and black. Often many of these colors can be seen at once, caused by interference and diffraction of light passing through minute, regularly arranged apertures within the microstructure of opal, known as Bragg's lattice. These apertures are filled with secondary silica and form thin lamellae insi ...

Including:

• Opal - Common opal
• Opal - Sources of opal
• Opal - Synthetic opal

Read more here: » Opal: Encyclopedia - Opal

Armenians have their own highly distinctive alphabet and language. 96% of the people in the country speak Armenian, while 75.8% of the population speaks Russian as well. The adult literacy rate in Armenia is 99% [4]. Most adults in Yerevan can communicate in Russian, while English is increasing in popularity. Caucasian hospitality is legendary and stems from ancient tradition. Social gatherings focused around sumptuous presentations of course after course of elaborately prepared, well-seasoned (but not spicy-hot) food. The host or hos ...

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Armenia, Armenia - Origin of the name, Armenia - History, Armenia - Politics, Armenia - Administrative Provinces, Armenia - Geography, Armenia - Economy, Armenia - Demographics, Armenia - Culture, Armenia - Miscellaneous topics

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The uniqueness of Aegean civilization has never been in doubt, since its remains came to be studied seriously. For a time the surviving remains were thought to have originated with Egyptians or Phoenicians, but with more remains uncovered this was shown to be untrue. The Aegean civilization developed three distinctive features. Aegean civilization - Indigenous script. An indigenous writing system existed which consisted of characters with which only a very small percentage were identical, or even obviously ...

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Aegean civilization, Aegean civilization - Distinctive features, Aegean civilization - Indigenous script, Aegean civilization - Art, Aegean civilization - Architecture, Aegean civilization - History of Aegean Civilization, Aegean civilization - Origin and continuity, Aegean civilization - Chronology., Aegean civilization - Annals, Aegean civilization - Political Organization, Aegean civilization - Religion, Aegean civilization - Social Organization, Aegean civilization - Commerce, Aegean civilization - Treatment of the Dead, Aegean civilization - Artistic Production, Aegean civilization - Evidence of Aegean civilization, Aegean civilization - The discovery of Aegean civiliation, Aegean civilization - External link

Read more here: » Aegean civilization: Encyclopedia II - Aegean civilization - Distinctive features

The story begins in Sigil - "City of Doors" - a city in which the protagonist (The Nameless One) awakens on a mortuary slab, not knowing where or who he is. A chattering skull named Morte floats over to him and informs The Nameless One of writing on his back instructing him to read his journal, and then find someone named Pharod. The Nameless One then embarks on a quest to resolve two fundamental problems: why he is a ...

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Planescape: Torment, Planescape: Torment - Synopsis, Planescape: Torment - Characters, Planescape: Torment - The Nameless One, Planescape: Torment - Ravel Puzzlewell, Planescape: Torment - Trias, Planescape: Torment - Party, Planescape: Torment - Credits, Planescape: Torment - Cast voice, Planescape: Torment - Trivia

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Animals who live in open terrain, as did the early hominins, can be more easily seen by predators and are more subject to predation. Their main strategy of defense is grouping together. Grouped animals can watch each others' backs, sound the alarm, fight together, cause confusion together, forage together and huddle together against the cold. An animal alone doesn't survive long. One would be hard pressed to find solitary animals on the plains, from mongooses to men. For example, at the first sign of danger, zebras may run off, or the ...

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Olduwan, Olduwan - Sites and Archaeologists, Olduwan - East Africa, Olduwan - South Africa, Olduwan - The East, Olduwan - Europe, Olduwan - Dates And Ranges, Olduwan - The Tools, Olduwan - Manufacture of the Tools, Olduwan - Shapes and Uses of the Tools, Olduwan - The Tool Users, Olduwan - Olduwan Culture, Olduwan - Footnotes, Olduwan - Sources

Read more here: » Olduwan: Encyclopedia II - Olduwan - Olduwan Culture

List of DC Comics characters - 0-9. 711 List of DC Comics characters - A. Abattoir Abel Abin Sur Able Crown Abra Kadabra Access (Amalgam Comics) Ace Ace of Clubs Ace of Spades Ace the Bathound Acidia Acro-Bat Adam Admiral Storm Advance Man Aegeus Aerialist Agent Orange Airstryke Air-W ...

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List of DC Comics characters, List of DC Comics characters - List of characters, List of DC Comics characters - 0-9, List of DC Comics characters - A, List of DC Comics characters - B, List of DC Comics characters - C, List of DC Comics characters - D, List of DC Comics characters - E, List of DC Comics characters - F, List of DC Comics characters - G, List of DC Comics characters - H, List of DC Comics characters - I, List of DC Comics characters - J, List of DC Comics characters - K, List of DC Comics characters - L, List of DC Comics characters - M, List of DC Comics characters - N, List of DC Comics characters - O, List of DC Comics characters - P, List of DC Comics characters - Q, List of DC Comics characters - R, List of DC Comics characters - S, List of DC Comics characters - T, List of DC Comics characters - U, List of DC Comics characters - V, List of DC Comics characters - W, List of DC Comics characters - X, List of DC Comics characters - Y, List of DC Comics characters - Z, List of DC Comics characters - List of teams and organizations, List of DC Comics characters - List of alien races

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