Thursday’s Special: Vegged Out

 

 

des_rose_green

Not long ago I posted this same photo in B&W. Many of you thought it was a rose, but the object I photographed is rosette-shaped selenite gypsum that can be found in the deserts of Morocco and Algeria. Owing to its appearance, it is popularly called a desert rose. It is born in a process of moisture condensation when selenite huddles together and creates a mass that is subjected to the elements around it, and through sand and wind erosion.

The etymology of the word selenite shows that it came from Middle English selinete, from Latin selenites i.e. from Greek selēnitēs (lithos), which literally means moonstone or stone of the moon, from selēnē (Moon). The ancients used to believe that certain transparent crystals waxed and waned with the moon. In Greek mythology “Selene” is known as the goddess of the moon.

Selenite gypsum is a stone of the mind, said to bring mental ability and clarity, as well as perception of all kinds, including intuitive perception. It is used in crystal healing to quiet worries and still the mind from distractions and disruptions.

The above abstract does not show the true colour of the desert rose; desert roses take on the colour of the sand because selenite is a fibrous mineral and fine sand becomes trapped between the fibres as it crystallizes. When I did the colour editing on this photo I thought it would be fun to make it look like kale.

I hope you will enjoy the attached music as well.

**About Thursday’s Special: It is a new ‘non-challenge’ challenge that appeals to bloggers eager to wake up their creativity and show their own ideas and interpretation of the world. I invite everybody interested to join in. There are no themes, titles and techniques set for your expression, there are no limits and restrictions (no red tape whatsoever). The only thing required is to post a photo post on Thursdays entitled “Thursday’s Special: (your theme/title)” (as explained in my Thursday’s Special introductory post), to provide a link to my Thursday’s Special post, and to leave a link to your post in the comments section of my post. If you like Thursday’s Special widget, feel free to grab it and post it on your blog.

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Check out inspiring entries for Thursday’s Special: 

 Category: Language, Photography, Thursday's Special, Weekly Photo Challenge      Tagged: , , , , ,

73 Comments on “Thursday’s Special: Vegged Out”

  1. Wonderfully vivid in green, Paula. Love your beautiful oriental music. I thought I might find you here early, as you’re getting ready for your trip 🙂

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  2. I really enjoyed reading the information about selenite gymsum, Paula and the kale-like stone. The music adds to its mystery. Are you going to post it in its actual colour some time?

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    • Hello Opalla, I don’t think I will. Since I took the first photo and edited it in black and white and in green colour, I’ve lost the original pic… and in the meantime I also damaged the desert rose – how clumsy of me. I brought it to work with me to give me clarity and tranquility, but instead I ended up losing some of its petals. In my reply to Colline I attached a picture from the internet which looks exactly like the one I originally took. Thank you so much for visiting me again. Happy Thursday!

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        • I am so happy with this week’s entry :). We have fish, urban art, bridges, cookies and now mud :D. Thank you so much for your wonderful work Opalla 🙂 Congratulations to you and your friends!

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          • Thank you, Paula. Your Thursday Special idea is very cool–a non-challenge giving us the freedom to express and share. 🙂

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            • My pleasure, dear :). Next Thursday I will be on holiday, but I will post again; it may just happen that you will have to wait for a few hours before I get a chance to see your post and attach your link. I will be exploring Corsica during the day 😉

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  7. Another beautiful and inspiring post Paula. Great to see the desert rose in that colour as well. You are so creative. Loved reading about the gemstones. Thanks for sharing hon and have a wonderful day. 😀 *big hugs*

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  16. When I travel I avoid all sort of cooking. You have impressed me Amy 🙂 A beautifully described and photographed travel experience. Thank you for your delicious entry 🙂

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  21. Precioso Paula! I have two roses myself…One of my friends was travelling with 3 on her backpack for a whole month! They are lovely and a kind of a mystery to me….I think the music matches perfectly!!!!
    Enjoy in Corsica! Meanwhile, I would look for something special for today…I love the concept of total freedom!
    Hugs!

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