Extremophile... the ETs

Long back I read about these strangecreatures. They are called Extremophiles…

There has been a lot of speculation on whether there are any Extra Terrestrials…
Many skeptics say that the chance of existence of any living being in other planets are slimmest, because of the temperature and pressure and most important the lack of water on these planets…

To solve this problem lets take this analogy…
Just because mr. x is vegetarian he should not assume that his neighbor must also be a vegetarian…..
We have been evolved to suite the conditions on earth, if we were born on some other planet we would have evolved with different need and molecular structure….
May be our extremophile may answer our quest on ET…

The wikipedia classifies extremophiles in the following order.

Acidophile:
These are organism which live in high acidic conditions, as high as pH of 2…
To remind you that pH 7 is neutral and it is varies in a logarithmic scale. It means pH 2 is 1000 times more acidic than pH 3.
The acidity of the Ph 2 solution is equal to the acidity of gastric acid or a very strong lemonade… the pH of your cola is 2.5. That I believe is really extreme condition.

Alkaliphile:
They are just opposite to acidophile. These organisms are found in alkalinity of pH 9 to 11. Your soap has alkalinity of 9 and the house hold ammonia has a pH of 11.5.

Barophile:
Barophiles are bacteria which live in high pressure environments. They are generally found on ocean floors, where pressure generally exceeds 380 atm (38 MPa). Some have been found at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean where the maximum pressure is roughly 117 MPa. Now 117 Mpa is equivalent to 11700000 kg of weight distributed equally on one metre squared area or 1170 kg of weight acting on a square area whose sides are 1cm long.
Obligate barophiles cannot survive outside of such environments. For example, the Halomonas species Halomonas salaria requires a pressure of 1000 atm (100 MPa) and a temperature of 3 degrees Celsius. Barotolerant bacteria are able to survive at high pressures, but can exist in less extreme environments as well.
Barophiles grow in darkness, and so are very uv sensitive, they lack many mechanisms of DNA repair.

Endolith:
An endolith or cryptoendolith is an organism (archaea, bacterium, or fungus) that lives inside rock, coral, animal shells, or in the pores between mineral grains. Many are extremophiles; living in places previously thought inhospitable to life. They are of particular interest to astrobiologists, who theorize that endolithic environments on Mars and other planets constitute potential refugia for extraterrestrial microbial communities.

Halophiles:
Halophiles are extremophiles that thrive in environments with very high concentrations of salt (at least 2 M, approximately ten times the salt level of ocean water). The name comes from Greek for "salt-loving". Some well-known species give off a red color due to the carotenoid compounds. These species contain the photosynthetic pigment bacteriorhodopsin. Organisms are categorized either slight, moderate or extreme, by the extent of their halotolerance.

Hyperthermophiles:
A hyperthermophile is an organism that thrives in extremely hot environments — that is, hotter than around 60 °C, with an optimal temperature above 80 °C. The most heat-tolerant hyperthermophile is the recently-discovered Strain 121 which has been able to double its population during 24 hours in an autoclave at 121 °C (hence its name). Many hyperthermophiles are also able to withstand other environmental extremes such as high acidity or radiation levels.
Although no hyperthermophile has yet been discovered living at temperatures above 121 °C, their existence is very possible (Strain 121 survived being heated to 130 °C for 2 hours, but was not able to reproduce until it had been transferred into a fresh growth medium, at a relatively-cooler 103°C). However, it is thought unlikely that microbes could survive at temperatures above 150° C, as the cohesion of DNA and other vital molecules begins to break down at this point.

Hypolith:
In Arctic and Antarctic ecology, a hypolith is a photosynthetic organism that lives underneath rocks in climatically extreme deserts such as Cornwallis Island and Devon Island in the Canadian high Arctic. The community itself is the hypolithon.
Hypolithons are protected from harsh ultraviolet radiation and wind scouring by their rock, which can also trap moisture. The rocks are generally translucent to allow for the penetration of light.

Lithoautotroph:
A lithoautotroph is a microbe which derives energy from reduced compounds of mineral origin. They may also be referred to as chemolithoautotrophs, a type of lithotrophs, reflecting their autotrophic metabolic pathways. Lithoautotrophs are exclusively microbes; macrofauna do not possess the capability to utilize mineral sources of energy.

Oligotroph:
An oligotroph is an organism that can live in a very low carbon concentration, less than one part per million. They may be contrasted with copiotrophs, which prefer environments rich in carbon. Most oligotrophs are bacteria, though archaean oligotrophs also exist. Oligotrophs are characterized by slow growth, low rates of metabolism, and generally low population density. Low-carbon environments are ubiquitous; oligotrophs may be found a wide range of environments including in deep oceanic sediments, caves, glacial and polar ice, deep subsurface soil, aquifers, and ocean water.

Osmophile:
Osmophillic organisms are extremophiles that are able to grow in environments with a high sugar concentration. Osmophiles are similar to halophillic (salt-loving) organisms because a critical aspect of both types of environment is their low water activity.

Piezophile:
A piezophile is an organism which thrives at high pressures, such as deep sea bacteria or archaea.
The high pressures experienced by organisms in deep-sea trenches, for example, can cause the normally fluid cell membrane of these organisms to become waxy and relatively impermeable to nutrients. Evolution has forced these organisms to adapt in novel ways to become tolerant of these pressures in order to colonize deep sea habitats.

Polyextremophile:
A polyextremophile (to like several extremes in more-or-less Greek) is an organism which combines several extremophilic features. For example, a polyextremophile living at the summit of a mountain in the Atacama Desert might be a radioresistant xerophiler, a psychrophile, and an oligotroph.

Psychrophiles:
Psychrophiles or Cryophiles (adj. cryophilic) are extremophilic organisms that are capable of growth and reproduction in cold temperatures. They can be contrasted with thermophiles, which thrive at unusually hot temperatures. The environments they inhabit are ubiquitous on Earth, as a large fraction of our planetary surface experiences temperatures lower than 15°C. They are present in alpine and arctic soils, high-latitude and deep ocean waters, arctic ice, glaciers, and snowfields. They are of particular interest to astrobiology, the field dedicated to the formulation of theory about the possibility of extraterrestrial life.

Radioresistance:
Radioresistance is the property of organisms which are capable of living in environments with very high levels of ionizing radiation.
Radioresistance is surprisingly high in many organisms, in contrast to previously held views. For example, the study of environment, animals and plants around the Chernobyl accident area has revealed an unexpected survival of many species, despite the high radiation levels. A Brazilian study in a hill in the state of Minas Gerais which has high natural radiation levels from uranium deposits, has also shown many radioresistant insects, worms and plants. To have a comparison, if a human can survive 5 units of radiation, these extremophiles can survive 15000 units of radiation.
Radiation can also help some plants to become more adapted to their environment by increasing the growth rate of the seeds. This helps them germinate faster.

Thermophile:
A thermophile is an organism – a type of extremophile – which thrives at relatively high temperatures, above 45 °C. Many thermophiles are archaea.

Xerophile:
Xerophiles are extremophilic organisms that can grow and reproduce in conditions with a low availability of water, also known as water activity. Water activity (aw) is a measure of the amount of water within a substrate that an organism can use to support growth. Xerophiles are often said to be "xerotolerant", meaning tolerant of dry conditions. They can survive in environments with water activity below 0.8. Endoliths and halophiles are often xerotolerant.

So the next time you boil water, think again if the water is sterilised or there are still some strain121 there reproducing….

I know this post is really long but, you have to put with rain to see the rainbow…

Take care
Blessed be.

magick, what it is?

Hello folks..
After having the basic knowledge of wiccan religion it becomes a necessity to deal with what witches and wizards really deal with… its magic, most of the wiccans prefer the word for magick for magic, I don’t know the exact reason but what I think personally is this has to do with numerology. If you calculate the number for magic it counts to 2, and for magick its 4, 4 being the partner number of 7 has occultic values. Well this is just a speculation. The Anglo-Saxon k in Magick, like most of Crowley's conceits, is a means of indicating the kind of magic which he performed. K is the eleventh letter of several alphabets, and eleven is the principal number of magick, because it is the number attributed to the Qliphoth - the underworld of demonic and chaotic forces that have to be conquered before magick can be performed. K has other magical implications: it corresponds to the power or shakti aspect of creative energy, for k is the ancient Egyptian khu, the magical power. Specifically, it stands for kteis (vagina), the complement to the wand (or phallus) which is used by the Magician in certain aspects of the Great Work.

If u think magick is just tricks performed on stage, then think again, actual magick does not involve stages and show offs, most real magicians(witches and wizards) don’t even reveal the fact that they are witches, this may be due to fear of out casting. Witches have a really really bad past, millions have been burnt by the so called Christian religious leaders. There are different types of magick a witch can perform based on her personal interest and divination. So we will see the different types of magick.

Basic classification is like
white magick
grey magick
black magick

white magick:
It is the magick which was initiated with a good intention and ends up with fulfilling of the request and with no other side effect or only with good effects.
Eg:- healing spells.

Grey magick:
It is the magick which was initiated with good intentions and has the request fulfilled but the consequences are bad.
Eg:- money spell, love spell.

Black magick:
It is the magick which was initiated with bad intentions and has the request fulfilled with generally bad concequences following.
Eg:- spells used for revenge.

However this was based on the intentions and results, there are other classifications as well…the list given here are of simple magicks that can also be performed bby non wiccans…

candle magick
feather magick
color magick
shell magick
moon phase magick
chaos magick

Most of the witches don’t stick to one type of magick, they use combinations, whichever is best suited for them, some of then uses all of them….

Lets burst the myth

What is magick?
According to wikipedia, Magick, in the broadest sense, is any act designed to cause intentional change. Well this definition lacks a number of things, magick is any act that will cause anintentional change without any direct involvement with the change.

How does Magick works?
That could be the most difficult question, not because I don’t know the answer because I cannot explain it to you. If you come to know about how magick work, you would get astonished by the simplicity of the law and then because of your stubbornness, it may not work for you there after.

Can I do magick”
Yes simple magick spells can be done by anyone.

why does magick works for some and not for others?
There can be many reasons like phase of moon, the colors used, no faith and belief.

Wiccan Festivals

Sometimes, I wonder why the holidays are called HOLIDAYS.
This is because in olden days there was no other reason to get away from work except for some festivities, that is some HOLY day.

These holydays are called SABBATS. There are other holidays based on moon phases called as ESBATS, and the ones based on sun’s phases are called Sabbats. These are the major holidays celebrated by wiccans, there are 8 sabbats. They are

1. Midsummer Day (Summer Solstice) on June 21,
2. Lugnassad (August-eve) on July 30,
3. Alban Elved (Fall Equinox) on September 21,
4. Samhain (November-eve, Halloween) on October 31,
5. Midwinter Day (Winter Solstice) on December 21,
6. Imbolc (February-eve) on the eve of February 1,
7. Alban Eiler (Spring Equinox) on March 21
8. Beltane (May-eve) on the eve of May 1st.

Summer solstice: June 21.
A solar festival which was almost universally celebrated; and, especially in Europe. In the European tradition, the night before was Midsummer’s Eve; a time for great magic , especially for love charms…;-). Certain herbs were picked at midnight to bring protection against lightning, fire, witchcraft, disease and ill fortune. Witches and fairies roam on Midsummer’s Eve, as they do at Beltane; there is a bit of madness in the air. Great bonfires are lit to help change the course of the sun in the sky, the rites resemble those of Beltane. Burning wheels are rolled down hills, and burning disks are thrown at the sun. The zenith of the power of the Sun God is manifested in the flourishing of crops and livestock. The sabbat was Christianized to St. John’s Day (for John the Baptist).
Lughnasadh: July 31.
A great festival of games and dance, named in honor of the Irish Celtic solar god Lugh. The word Lughnasadh is related to words meaning "to give in marriage" and once was associated with marriage contracts. Nine moths away is the next Beltane, the birth of summer and life. According to medieval legend, the festival celebrates Lugh’s marriage to "the Sovranty of Ireland," the goddess Eriu. A hag, Eriu is transformed into a beauty who personifies the land of Ireland. First harvests are made, along with thanksgivings and rites to ensure the bounty of the crops for the coming year. To ensure this same purpose, some traditions observe, as a sacrifice, the death of the Sacred King. In old pagan customs, the blood of a cock would be scattered over the fields.

Autumn equinox: September 21.
Once again, day and night, and male and female forces are equally balanced. This is the time for the second harvests. Traditionally, the Eleusinian mysteries are observed in rites and dramas. The mysteries concern the myth of Demeter and her daughter Kore (Persephone), and of the attainment of immortality through the adoration of them.

Samhain: October 31.
An ancient Celtic festival which celebrates the beginning of winter, marked by death, and the beginning of the Celtic New Year. Samhain means "end of summer." The Druids, in ancient Ireland, once sacrificed to their deities by burning victims in wickerwork gages. All other fires were to be extinguished and lighted again from the sacrificial fire. This custom still continues in Ireland and Scotland, all fires in homes are extinguished and lighted again from bonfires, but without sacrificial victims. Samhain marks the third harvests and the storage of provisions for winter. The veil between the worlds of the living and dead is the thinnest during this time making communications easier. Souls of the dead can come into the land of the living. Samhain is a time for eliminating weaknesses, when pagan once slaughtered weak animals that were thought not to be able to survive the winter. This custom resulted in the modern practice by some who wanted to get rid of their weaknesses of writing them on a piece of paper and dropping them into a fire. Some baked cakes to be offered for the souls of the dead. Samhain was Christianized into All Hallow’s Eve or Halloween. The modern custom or trick-and-treating may have originated from an old Irish peasant custom of going door-to-door to collect money, breadcake, cheese, eggs, butter, nuts, apples and other foods in preparation for the festival of St. Columb Kill. Apples are included in many rites, especially as ingredients in brews. Dunking for apples may have been a divinatory practice. A.G.H.
Winter solstice: December 22
. The winter solstice marks the longest night of the year. It is when the Goddess awakes to find that she is pregnant with the Sun God. The rituals for both the summer and winter solstices are designed to help change the course of the sum. The winter solstice has been Christianized as Yule or Christmas.
Oimelc: February 2.
A winter purification and Fire Festival, often called the Feast of Lights, Imbolc or Imbolg (pronounced ‘im mol g"). which means "in the belly" and signifies the growing of life in the womb of Mother Earth. It celebrates Brigid (Brigit), the Irish Celtic goddess of fire, fertility, crops, livestock, wisdom, poetry, and household arts. Oimelc brings the first signs of life in the darkness of the Earth. The Goddess prepares for the birth of the Sun God. This sabbat has been named Candlemas in Christianity, also called St. Brigid’s Day. It is celebrated by candlelight processionals and commemorates the Presentation of Christ in the Temple (Eastern Church) or the Purification of the Virgin Mary (Western Church). Oimelc, also, corresponds with Ground Hog Day, the popular litmus test for the arrival of spring.
Spring equinox: March 21
. A solar festival, in which day and night, and the forces of male and female, are equally balanced. This is the first day of spring, which marks the birth of the infant Sun God and makes way for the lushness of summer. Dionysian rites are performed. The Christianizing of this sabbat is Easter.
Beltane: April 30.
One of the great Celtic solar festivals, celebrated in ancient times with bonfires. Beltane rites celebrate birth, fertility and the blossoming of all life, as personified by the union of the Goddess and the Sun God, also known in Christianized lore as King Winter and Queen May. The celebrants jump over broomsticks and dance around maypoles, both are fertility symbols. The sabbat begins at moonrise on Beltane Eve. Supposedly it is bad luck to be out late that night because witches and fairies roam the countryside in great numbers and conduct wild revelries. Beltane bonfires are believed to bring fertility to crops, homes and livestock. People dance deosil, or clockwise, around the fires or creep between the fires for protection against illness. Cattle are driven through the fires for protection against disease. Ancient Druids lit bonfires on hills and uttered incantations. When Beltane was Christianized by the Church, the pagan rites were replaced with church services and processionals in the fields, where the priests lit the fires.This festival also is known as Walburgisnacht.