Montreal's Beloved Witchcraft Store Has Closed — Here's Why

Provided by MTL Blog

After enchanting Montreal for over two decades, the city's cherished witchcraft and esoteric shop, Charme & Sortilège, has closed its doors, marking the end of an era for the local occult community.

The store, known for its wide range of magical supplies, from herbs and crystals to books and ritual tools, has been a cornerstone for those practicing or curious about paganism, witchcraft, and the metaphysical.

"The rent of $6000 a month for our premises was considerable, but we were already financially fragile from some troubles in 2019 related to embezzlement, just as we were busy opening the Quebec branch," co-owner Marie Renée told MTL Blog. The pandemic further exacerbated their financial strain, leading to the three co-owners taking out personal loans to keep employee salaries afloat despite mandatory closures.

Then, the store's efforts to reach the community online through posts on rituals, herbalist tips, and moon phases saw a dramatic drop in interaction, sometimes getting only a handful of likes per week, a stark contrast to their previous engagement of 200 to 300 likes.

"For two years, we really tried everything… but recently, we had to accept that we were losing money every week," Marie Renée said. A company recovery expert strongly advised them to close as soon as possible.

Despite the store's brick-and-mortar closure in Montreal and Quebec City, the spirit of Charme & Sortilège will live on. The announcement of the closure elicited nearly 4,000 messages of love and sadness, according to Marie Renée, showing the deep connection the community felt with the store.

"It's really sad to see you guys go. I always loved visiting, it felt like entering another dimension. It really felt magical," one person commented on Instagram. "You have helped me a lot during a difficult time in my life and I am endlessly grateful," wrote another.

On entering Charme & Sortilège visitors were often greeted by the scent of incense, selected from a wall lined with dozens of scents, each described for its spell and ritual associations. The store was filled with items like cauldrons, candles, and spellbooks, among other pagan wares, inviting customers into a world of mysticism.

The store also offered unique "spells in a bag," silk sachets filled with herbal mixes labelled with aspirations like "fast luck" and "sweet dreams." The staff would explain how to use the sachets: carry them around, place them under your pillow, and meditate on your desired outcome. Once achieved, the tradition was to return the sachet to nature by burying or burning it. The store put an emphasis on spiritual practices that revered the natural world, which will be missed in its physical absence.

"Many are mourning… just like us. So, we decided to keep a portal dedicated to magic and related arts, allowing the spirit of Charme & Sortilège to continue. The community will now have access to various downloadable products to enrich and diversify their practice, personalized services, the Grimoire-Blog, and consultations directly on the Charme & Sortilège site," Marie Renée shared, ensuring that the store's legacy will persist online.

Looking ahead, Marie Renée has plans to create courses through a series of posters and monographs. Pascal is considering offering a unique and personalized service, and Michel will be back for in-person and virtual meetings starting mid-March.

"Continue to follow us… we haven't spoken our last word," she said.

Chip Giant TSMC Shifts From Hotspot Taiwan With Japan Plant


February 24, 2024 
By Associated Press

The founder of Taiwan's chip giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Morris Chang, center, attends the opening ceremony for the new semiconductor plant by subsidiary Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, in Kikuyo, Japan, on Feb. 24, 2024.

TOKYO —

Chip giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. opened its first semiconductor plant in Japan Saturday as part of its ongoing global expansion.

“We are deeply grateful for the seamless support provided by you at every step,” TSMC Chairman Mark Liu said after thanking the Japanese government, local community and business partners, including electronic giant Sony and auto-parts maker Denso. The company's founder, Morris Chang, was also present at the ceremony in Kikuyo.

This comes as Japan is trying to regain its presence in the chip production industry.

Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing, or JASM, is set to be up and running later this year. TSMC also announced plans for a second plant in Japan earlier this month, with production expected to start in about three years. Private sector investment totals $20 billion for both plants. Both plants are in the Kumamoto region, southwestern Japan.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida sent a congratulatory video message, calling the plant’s opening “a giant first step.” He stressed Japan's friendly relations with Taiwan and the importance of cutting-edge semiconductor technology.

Japan had previously promised TSMC 476 billion yen ($3 billion) in government funding to encourage the semiconductor giant to invest. Kishida confirmed a second package, raising Japan's support to more than 1 trillion yen ($7 billion).

Although TSMC is building its second plant in the U.S. and has announced a plan for its first in Europe, Japan could prove an attractive option.

Closer to Taiwan geographically, Japan is an important U.S. ally. Neighboring China claims the self-governing island as its own territory and says it must come under Beijing’s control. The long-running divide is a flashpoint in U.S.-China relations.

The move is also important for Japan, which has recently earmarked about 5 trillion yen ($33 billion) to revive its chips industry.

Four decades ago, Japan dominated in chips, headlined by Toshiba Corp. and NEC controlling half the world’s production. That’s declined lately to under 10%, due to competition from South Korean, U.S. and European manufacturers, as well as from TSMC.

The coronavirus pandemic negatively affected the supply of electronic chips, stalling plants, including automakers, with Japan almost entirely dependent on chip imports. This pushed Japan to seek chip production in pursuit of self-sufficiency.

Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation, Denso Corporation and top automaker Toyota Motor Corporation are investing in TSMC’s Japan plant, with the Taiwanese giant retaining an 86.5% ownership of JASM.

Once the two plants are up and running, they’re expected to create 3,400 high-tech jobs directly, according to TSMC.

Ensuring access to an ample supply of the most advanced chips is vital with the growing popularity of electric vehicles and artificial intelligence. Some analysts note Japan still leads in crucial aspects of the industry, as seen in Tokyo Electron, which manufactures the machinery used to produce chips.

Still, it’s clear the Japanese government is intent on playing catchup. Tokyo is supporting various semiconductor projects nationwide, such as those involving Western Digital and Micron of the U.S., and Japanese companies such as Renesas Electronics, Canon and Sumitomo.

 ANTARCTIC

Geological Insights from the Newly Discovered Granite of Sif Island between Thwaites and Pine Island Glaciers

Large-scale geological structures have controlled the long-term development of the bed and thus the flow of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS). However, complete ice cover has obscured the age and exact positions of faults and geological boundaries beneath Thwaites Glacier and Pine Island Glacier, two major WAIS outlets in the Amundsen Sea sector. Here, we characterize the only rock outcrop between these two glaciers, which was exposed by the retreat of slow-flowing coastal ice in the early 2010s to form the new Sif Island. The island comprises granite, zircon U-Pb dated to ~177–174 Ma and characterized by initial ɛNd, 87Sr/86Sr and ɛHf isotope compositions of -2.3, 0.7061 and -1.3, respectively. These characteristics resemble Thurston Island/Antarctic Peninsula crustal block rocks, strongly suggesting that the Sif Island granite belongs to this province and placing the crustal block's boundary with the Marie Byrd Land province under Thwaites Glacier or its eastern shear margin. Low-temperature thermochronological data reveal that the granite underwent rapid cooling following emplacement, rapidly cooled again at ~100–90 Ma and then remained close to the Earth's surface until present. These data help date vertical displacement across the major tectonic structure beneath Pine Island Glacier to the Late Cretaceous.

Details

Publication status:

Published Online

Author(s):

Authors: Marschalek, James W., Thomson, Stuart N., Hillenbrand, Claus-Dieter , Vermeesch, Pieter, Siddoway, Christine, Carter, Andrew, Nichols, Keir, Rood, Dylan H., Venturelli, Ryan A., Hammond, Samantha J., Wellner, Julia, van de Flierdt, Tina

On this site: Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand

Date:

20 February, 2024

Journal/Source:

Antarctic Science

Page(s):

24pp

Link to published article:

https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954102023000287

3,700-Year-Old Red Lipstick Unearthed In Iran May Be Oldest Ever Found

The prehistoric lip product is remarkably similar to contemporary cosmetics.

MADDY CHAPMAN
Editor & Writer
Edited by Francesca Benson

The composition of the lipstick enhanced in false colors: Red (hematite), yellow (braunite), pink (quartz), and green (galena).
Image credit: Eskandari et al., Scientific Reports, 2024 (CC BY 4.0)

What scientists believe to be a Bronze Age lipstick with a deep red color – and possibly a hint of shimmer – has been discovered in Iran, suggesting that ancient Iranians may have been rouging their lips since the second millennium BCE.

The lip paint was contained in a small, ornately decorated chlorite vial, which was discovered in the Jiroft region of southeastern Iran in 2001. Recent radiocarbon dating has revealed it was made somewhere between 1936 and 1687 BCE, which would make this “probably the earliest [lipstick] analytically reported,” the team behind the find report in their paper.

As impressive as almost-four-millennia-old makeup may sound, the researchers add that the lipstick’s advanced age isn’t all that surprising “considering the long-standing, well known technical and aesthetic tradition in cosmetology in ancient Iran.”

Foundations, eye shadows, and black kohl eyeliners have all previously been identified in the ancient Near East and Egypt. However, deep red pigments such as those found in the lipstick have remained elusive – until now.

Chemical analysis of the residue left in the vial, which by now resembles a fine purple powder, revealed it contains predominantly hematite, known for its intense red color, darkened with manganite and braunite, and complete with traces of galena, anglesite, and other organic substances. Vegetal fibers were present in the archaic cosmetic concoction too, possibly for their aromatic properties, which may have been utilized to scent the lipstick.

The researchers also identified quartz particles, from ground sand or crystals, which they suggest might have been included to add a bit of shimmer – although a much less glamorous explanation is that the quartz flaked off the decaying container.

Glittery or not, the mixture “bears a striking resemblance to the recipes of contemporary lipsticks,” the study authors write. It seems the cosmetologists of ancient Iran walked so that modern pout-enhancers could run.

The chlorite vial (left) and its contents (right).
Image credit: Eskandari et al., Scientific Reports, 2024 (CC BY 4.0)


The vial itself is intricately decorated with fine incisions, and is “unlike any other similar object currently known”. Because of this, and the fact of its unusual contents, the researchers write that it “supports the idea that cosmetic products in ancient times were branded, packaged and traded in standard types of containers with specific forms allowing for easy visual identification,” as is the case with contemporary cosmetics and perfumes.

While it's not possible to know who the owner and wearer of the lipstick was, the find nonetheless offers some insight into the often-overlooked Bronze Age cosmetics industry.

Study author Professor Massimo Vidale told Smithsonian Magazine: “It was a costly expression of luxury that played a crucial role in shaping social interaction in the hierarchies of the early cities.”

The study is published in the journal Scientific Reports.

 

Russia's space weapon: Anti-satellite systems are indiscriminate, posing a risk to everyone's spacecraft

by Matthew Powell and Dafydd Townley, The Conversation

Space is already crowded with human-made objects and anti-satellite weapons can make

 the situation much worse. Credit: NASA ODPO

In a week where national security has taken center stage in Washington, the White House confirmed on Thursday that it had evidence that Russia was developing a space-based nuclear anti satellite weapon.

John Kirby, the National Security Council spokesperson, informed reporters that the White House believe Russia's program to be "troubling," despite "no immediate threat to anyone's safety."

The problem is that, depending on what type of weapon this is, the consequences of using it could be indiscriminate—threatening everyone's satellites and causing a breakdown of the vital services that come from space infrastructure.

The White House revelations come after House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner urged the administration, late on Wednesday, to declassify information concerning what he called a "serious national security threat." There were then several days of comments and speculation about Russia either being ready to launch a nuclear weapon into space, or deploying an anti-satellite weapon powered by nuclear energy.

Kirby did not fully outline the nature of the threat, but he added that officials believed the weapons system was not an "active capability" and had not been deployed. To reassure those listening, Kirby said that the weapon was not one that could be used to cause physical destruction on Earth but that the White House was monitoring Russian activity and would "continue to take it very seriously."

During a visit to Albania on Thursday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed the news and stated that he expected to have more to say soon, adding that the Biden administration was "also conferring with allies and partners on the issue."

While discussing the matter with Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Munich Security Conference, Blinken is reported to have "emphasized that the pursuit of this capability should be a matter of concern."

Denials from Russia

Moscow immediately denied the existence of such a program and stated that it was a "malicious fabrication" created by the Biden administration to pressurize Congress into passing the USD$97bn (£77bn) foreign aid bill, $60bn of which was destined for Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: "It is obvious that the White House is trying, by hook or by crook, to encourage Congress to vote on a bill to allocate money; this is obvious."

At a press conference on the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Joe Biden stated that there was "no nuclear threat to the people of America or anywhere else in the world with what Russia is doing at the moment."

The president added that there was "no evidence that they have made a decision to go forward with doing anything in space either." If Moscow did decide to go ahead with the program it would be contrary to the Outer Space Treaty which 130 countries have signed onto, including Russia.

The treaty prohibits "nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction" in orbit or stationing weapons in outer space "in any other manner." Anti-satellite weapons are nothing new. China launched a weapon to destroy a non-operational weather satellite in January 2007.

While the temptation to launch a nuclear strike in space may seem alluring to nations looking to challenge US dominance in the domain, such actions come at huge risk. It is not necessarily the destruction of objects in space from Earth that should be the primary concern when it comes to anti-satellite weapons more generally, but the effect they have in space.

Mass of debris

The destruction of any celestial object creates a mass of debris varying in size from a few millimeters to several centimeters. Currently, there are hundreds of millions of tracked pieces of space debris orbiting the Earth.

The speed at which this space debris is traveling makes it a major hazard to other satellites and entities in space such as the International Space Station (ISS), which has to change course in order to avoid collisions which can cause widespread damage. The ISS has had to changed course 32 times since 1999.

Once space debris has been created, it is almost impossible to control the trajectory after the strike or the orbital pattern it will take around the Earth. This can put a nation's space assets—such as its satellites—at the same risk of destruction as that of an adversary. This situation has been described in similar terms to that applied to nuclear weapons on Earth, in terms of mutually assured destruction.

If a nuclear strike were to be conducted by a nation in space with the intention of destroying satellites and also to demonstrate both an ability and willingness to use nuclear weapons more generally, it would be next to impossible to control the consequences of such an action.

It would be fairly certain that such a strike would have the intended effect in reducing the space capabilities of an opponent. For example, an attack on US assets could disable the satellite-based global positioning system (GPS) that is relied on by western nations.

There is, however, the very real possibility that it would also destroy the space assets of the nation behind the attack, as well as allies and friends of that same nation. This could lead to tensions being raised and lead to a loss of that country's support.

The inability to control the effects of attacks in space, whether they originate from a weapon in space or on the Earth, makes such actions subject to a great degree of consideration and debate in all nations that are active in the space domain.

Provided by The Conversation 

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Q&A: If Russia is developing some kind of space-based weapon, Putin may never get to use it

 

Strange Metal From Beyond Our World Found in Ancient Treasure Stash

HUMANS23 February 2024

ByMICHELLE STARR

The Treasure of Villena. (Municipal Archaeological Museum of Villena)

Amidst a cache of glittering golden treasures from the Iberian Bronze Age, a pair of corroded objects might be the most precious of all.

A dull bracelet and a rusted hollow hemisphere decorated with gold are forged, researchers have found, not out of metal from beneath the ground, but with iron from meteorites that fell from the sky.

The discovery, led by now-retired head of conservation at the National Archeological Museum Spain, Salvador Rovira-Llorens, suggests that metalworking technology and techniques were far more advanced than we thought in Iberia more than 3,000 years ago.

The Treasure of Villena, as the cache of 66 mostly gold objects is known, was discovered more than 60 years ago in 1963 in what is now Alicante in Spain, and has since come to be regarded as one of the most important examples of Bronze Age goldsmithing in the Iberian Peninsula, and the whole of Europe.

The iron-and-gold hemisphere, which has a maximum diameter of 4.5 centimeters (1.77 inches). (Villena Museum)

However, determining the age of the collection has been somewhat difficult to do, thanks to two objects: a small, hollow hemisphere, thought to be part of a scepter or sword hilt; and a single, torc-like bracelet. Both have what archaeologists have described as a "ferrous" appearance – that is, they seem to be made of iron.

In the Iberian Peninsula, the Iron Age – where smelted terrestrial iron began to replace bronze – didn't start until around 850 BCE. The problem is that the gold materials have been dated to between 1500 and 1200 BCE. So working out where the ferrous-looking artifacts sit in the context of the Treasure of Villena has been something of a puzzle.

But iron ore from Earth's crust is not the only place source of malleable iron. There's a number of pre-Iron Age iron artifacts around the world that were forged from the stuff of meteorites. Perhaps most famous is the meteoritic iron dagger of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, but there are other Bronze Age weapons made of the material, and they were very highly prized.

There is a way to tell the difference: iron from meteorites has a much higher nickel content than iron dug out of Earth's ground. So researchers obtained permission from the Municipal Archaeological Museum of Villena, which houses the collection, to carefully test the two artifacts, and determine just how much nickel they contained.

The iron bracelet, which measures 8.5 centimeters (3.35 inches) across. (Villena Museum)

They carefully took samples of both artifacts, and subjected the material to mass spectrometry to determine their composition. In spite of the high degree of corrosion, which alters the elemental makeup of the artifact, the results strongly suggest that both the hemisphere and the bracelet were made from meteoritic iron.

This neatly solves the dilemma of how the two artifacts align with the rest of the collection: they were made around the same period, dating back to around 1400 to 1200 BCE.

"The available data suggest that the cap and bracelet from the Treasure of Villena would currently be the first two pieces attributable to meteoritic iron in the Iberian Peninsula," the researchers write in their paper, "which is compatible with a Late Bronze chronology, prior to the beginning of the widespread production of terrestrial iron."

Now, because the objects are so badly corroded, the results aren't conclusive. But there are more recent, non-invasive techniques that could be applied to the objects to obtain a more detailed set of data that would help cement the findings, the team says.

The findings have been published in Trabajos de Prehistoria.