Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia

Find harmony between yourself and the cosmos. In “Decoding the Stars”, examine the details of your birth chart and discover your soul's true purpose through astrology. Astrological archetypes are highly fluid and subjective in nature and your personal relationship with them can change over time. While we may look to our zodiac signs to help us navigate our relationships, career, finances, and family matters, astrology can also help us align the personality and the soul. You may have already learned how to interpret the external influences through astrology-the paths your life may take, who you will make friends with and love. Now's the time to find what's inside you. This guide will help you understand your desires, skills, and unique talents and guide you toward identifying your purpose and motivation. With this book, you will awaken self-knowledge and awareness of your larger spiritual planetary influences. The more self-aware you become, the greater your possibility of finding inner peace and happiness. With a walk through your birth chart, reflective questions, and writing prompts, Decoding the Stars will help you to better understand your creative spirit and bring your life's purpose to light.

Awaken both your inner foodie and your inner yogi as you journey into the consciousness of everyday foods, from their origins in myth to modern interpretations today. Have you ever considered the cultural origins and meanings of your favorite foods? “The Complete Language of Foodties” ingredients back to mythological and folklore roots for a unique and appetizing exploration of the foods we eat. Presented alphabetically, each food entry includes: • A beautiful illustration • concise summary of the food's mythology and folklore • How the food is used in certain cultures and traditions • Correlations to chakras, elements, and deities With everyday ingredients like acai, bok choy, and cauliflower, you're bound to learn more than you ever imagined about your household favorites as you discover the symbolic meanings, uses, and facts behind each. The knowledge gained will bring new meaning and intention to your mealtime. Some of the exciting lore behind certain foods will include: • Borage was a common motif in medieval needlework, especially in scarf designs where they were intended to be worn by knights as a symbol of courage • Archaeologists have found evidence of pickled cucumbers that date as far back to 2030 BCE (in northern regions of what is now Iraq) • Macedoine, a precursor to ice cream, is a type of jelly dessert that was served in snow and thought to be a favorite of Alexander the Great. • It was known that the ancient Greeks used honey in their skincare! Elegantly designed and beautifully illustrated, “The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia” series offers comprehensive, display-worthy references on a range of intriguing topics, including dream interpretation, techniques for harnessing the power of dreams, flower meanings, and the stories behind signs and symbols.

“The Complete Language of Herbs” is a comprehensive encyclopedia providing the meanings, powers, facts, and folklore for over 500 herbs and spices. Along with a beautiful visual depiction, each entry provides the herb or spice's scientific and common names, characteristics, and historic meanings and powers from mythology, medieval legends, folklore, and flower poetry. Did you know that allspice can be added to herbal mixtures to attract money or luck? Or that sprinkling arrowroot at the doors of your home will keep guests' negative energy from entering? Reaching the height of popularity during the Victorian era, floriographies-dictionaries of symbolic flower meanings-were an amusing pastime and art to subtly communicate unspoken emotions. To complement the success of “The Complete Language of Flowers”, author S. Theresa Dietz has scoured historic sources and compiled an equally beautiful compendium in The Complete Language of Herbs, revealing the secrets and powers of hundreds of common and forgotten herbs and spices from around the world. Together with stunning full-color illustrations and two indexes, one for searching by common herb and spice name and the other organized by meaning, this beautiful reference is a must-have for gardeners, chefs, party planners, and food enthusiasts.

Expand your bird knowledge with this gorgeous encyclopedia of over 500 bird species around the world, unique for its inclusion of both their physical and mythological characteristics. If you're a nature lover who thrives on bird videos and photography, go beyond the scope of standard field guides with this comprehensive reference. Each entry of “The Complete Language of Birds” provides not only the bird's name and physical qualities, but also its history, symbolic meanings, and hidden properties from mythology, legends, and folklore. Within the pages of this colorful volume, you'll find: • Beautiful illustrations and descriptions of common and unusual birds • Notes on the surprising properties and powers of birds • Discussions of the symbolism and mythological significance of each bird species Dive into an unusual dimension of historical and arcane knowledge with the study of birds. A collection of fun and interesting facts about birds gathered from science and culture, the stunning illustrations and lively descriptions make this an engaging guide you'll return to again and again..

This informative and engaging illustrated reference provides the stories behind 1,001 signs and symbols, from ancient hieroglyphs to modern-day political and subculture symbols. What in the world does Ω mean? And what about its meaning might have led my coffee date to tattoo it on his entire forearm? Where did the symbol ∞ originate, and what was its first meaning? How did the ampersand symbol & come about and how was it applied daily in book publishing? And what is the full story behind that staring eye on top of the pyramid on our American dollar bill? This comprehensive guide to signs and symbols explains.