Page 48 - September 2022 Magazine - Bumper Edition

You are a natural born problem solver. You can see the light at the end of the tunnel, when others only see an oncoming train. Your ability to both analyse and then rationalise the solution to any given problem or situation is impressive. Order really is your thing. You like everything to be in its place, then for you the world is as it should be.
By nature, you are very protective of those near and dear to you, you’ll hiss, spit and bite if you believe they are in any form of danger. This loyalty (and the need for order) is reflected in the habit of swans. When they take a mate, they do so for life, not just the mating season.
So many wonderful things can be said about the peeps born under the Swan sign and admirable as you are, they are all on the surface.
Whilst we see you glide effortlessly across the water, beneath you are deep dark murky waters.
You’re a bit of a perfectionist (this can sometimes be an understatement). Feathers may fly if your orderly life is disrupted. Your need to have everything in order (both in life and in your wardrobe) which can lead to you becoming obsessive if you don’t keep it in check.
Likewise, whilst you do have an enviable analytical ability, it doesn’t mean that you are always right. So when you're not, don’t harp on about it and don’t over analyse it, move on and just glide majestically over the pond.
People born under the sign of the Swan need to accept that they have been blessed with many gifts and not dwell on any imperfections; the world isn’t perfect and it certainly isn’t in any sort of order, but that’s not either your fault or responsibility. Do not let (what you interpret as) failings
consume you.
Moving as we do, swiftly on...
For the ancient Celts ‘twas not the stork that was the deliverer of babies but the majestic Swan. They were the transporters of souls across the heavenly night sky at birth and in time, at death.
In the Scottish Isles, Swans were observed each year travelling north to their breeding grounds in Iceland each spring, and they were believed to be carrying the souls of the dead to heaven.
So, let’s get a little factual with some totally useless information. A female Swan is a Pen. A male Swan is a Cob. We’re sure you know that Swan chicks are called Cygnets.
However, we are going to dispel a long believed myth, which is still widely believed throughout the British Isles to this very day.
Her majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, is actually NOT the only person in the land that can eat Swan and nor does she own all the Swans in the country.
Explain we hear you say...and so we shall.
From roughly the 12th century Swans became very valuable. Ownership was a serious status symbol equivalent to owning a Ferrari today. To protect them (or more likely their value), the Crown introduced ‘Swan Marks’ in 1482. Only landowners with substantial wealth were able to buy a unique mark, which would be etched on the beaks of their Swans. It was the equivalent of a licence.
It remains to this day that any unmarked Swans are officially Crown property, however in reality only the Swans on a section of the river Thames are part of the Crowns preservation project.
48 | The Flickering Cauldron® Magazine - Ogham Vine