Issue of the Week - Oct 27 - Nov 2

Rereading this, I realized I did not specify the "issue" which is Being Present and a manifestation of just what I was referring to - not paying attention, being somewhere else, not being in the Now.

Sorry I'm late with this. I had company from out of town for a week during which time my car was damaged in an accident (not serious and not my fault). But as you know, even though I was hit, I am the one who must make the calls, fill out the paperwork and take the car to the insurance adjuster and the repair shop. Strange. I was talking with another woman in the same situation and said "the person who hits you should pick up your car, get it fixed and deliver it back to you." She agreed.

My 'problem' occurred because another person was so distracted with whatever was on his mind that he was not paying attention.

As we approach the alignment with the Galactic Center in 2012, we will experience an acceleration of time. Our internal clocks and our physical bodies may be out of sync with this acceleration. Our tendency is to try to speed up in order to "do more".

Caroline Casey speaks about this a lot on her radio show "The Visionary Activist" on KPFA 94.1 (you can listen to the shows which are archived at kpfa.org). She recommends that we should actually slow down and that by doing so, we can actually accomplish more. I have found this to be true. For one thing, by slowing down you avoid having to do things over again and lessen the chance of accidents.

Only by slowing down can we concentrate and focus on what we are doing and we can better "be here now." If we are not "here" we will not be "there" when the time comes for that. We need to be present in each moment; to deepen rather than spread ourselves too thin.

We are in a time of rapid change. We must become resilient, learning to go with the flow. Letting go of fear and trusting; giving up control and surrendering to the Wisdom of Nature.

Flower essences are of special value at this time, because they work on the energetic or vibrational level and it is precisely at this level that we are being asked to change. We cannot do this type of transformation with the mind.

From Desert Alchemy

Prickly Pear Cactus yellow

From the Flower Essence Society

California Valerian Valeriana capitata

Positive qualities: Tranquility and inner equilibrium; inner confidence for the future due to the soul’s understanding of prior experiences; peaceful acceptance of life experiences.

Patterns of imbalance: Shallow breathing due to anxiety about the future; nervous agitation or insomnia; worry and unease when facing future live events that are viewed as challenging; addiction to sleeping pills or tranquilizers.

From the Alaskan Flower Essence Project

Moldavite Gem Elixir

Rigid and tightly held in check; toying with giving up something you know is right for you; wanting to control the timing of events and situations.

Issue of the Week - Oct 20 - Oct 26

Integrating Body and Spirit

This week I am featuring Gem Elixirs by the Alaskan Flower Essence Project.

Friday night I went to a talk by Steve Johnson from the Alaskan Flower Essence Project. He was doing a weekend workshop called "Embracing Uncertainty in Times of Change." I was unable to attend the entire weekend, since I had an out of town guest, but the Friday night talk was so useful to me, I felt I had gotten what I needed and was satisfied.

Friday night's talk was on "The Role of Gem Elixirs in Flower Essence Therapy." Here's the description of the evening.

'Find out why it is becoming increasingly important to introduce the mineral kingdom into our healing work with flower essences. Steve will introduce the Alaskan Gem Elixirs, explain how they work, lead a discussion of cases resisting treatment, and a question and answer session.'

What I understood him to say is that when you do a lot of spiritual work your consciousness expands. Your physical body gets more and more out of sync with your aura and your astral body and so you begin to have physical symptoms such as headaches and unexplained body aches. The body is slower to change and it takes awhile for it to re-negotiate a relationship with the subtle bodies as they expand.

He said that he has observed people seriously working on their consciousness while their bodies seemed to be getting sicker and sicker - especially with such things as chronic fatigue and other "new" and difficult to diagnose ailments. This explains the excrutiating pain I have been having lately, which has no physical explanation.

He also spoke about the importance of energy flow. Such things as stress and fear cause constriction to that flow and result in blockages and build up of 'toxins' of all types.

It is useful to combine the gem elixirs with flower essences so as to assist in integrating the body and spirit.

He suggested the following gem elixirs:

Black Tourmaline

Helps us exchange old unwanted energies being held in the body for fresh, clean, neutral energy; a precision tool for the release of toxic energy from the mind, emotions and physical body.


Fluorite

The "break up" elixir; increases the circulation of energy into the physical body by breaking up blockages in the etheric body.

Fluorite Combo

Synchronizes movement between the etheric and physical bodies; fine tunes our focus so that we can move through an issue or healing process with precision and balance.

Malachite

Grounding; helps align and harmonize the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels of being; supports the unity of one's being in all circumstances.

Descriptions of the elixirs are from the Alaskan Flower Essence Project catalog.

For more information please go to Alaskan Flower Essence Project website.

Issue of the Week - Oct 13 - Oct 19

Courage

We are facing many challenges these days and we all need courage to face changes that we may need to make. I have several friends whose lives are in limbo, waiting for houses to sell, jobs to end, paperwork to go through.

Today, I spent hours trying to apply for jobs on-line and as soon as I finished the application, the website went down and all the work I had done was lost. When I finally got back to the site, it said the job was discontinued. I guess they ran out of funding. I felt let down and disappointed because they were jobs I felt I really had a chance of getting.

I live in a canyon, so I can often hear people in their cars as they go by on the county highway. More and more, I hear them cussing and yelling at each other and those in other cars. The frustration level is growing as people fall into fear.

In order to ride this wave of difficulty, we need flexibility, trust and courage. We need to be able to adapt and change.

Courage is a quality of the heart. It is a French word which comes from 'coeur' - heart.

Aspen Populus tremula (green/gray)

Positive qualities: Trust and confidence to meet the unknown, drawing inner strength from the spiritual world.

Patterns of Imbalance: Fear of the unknown, vague anxiety and apprehension, hidden fears, nightmares.

Aspen flower essence quiets and subdues the astral body so that the spiritual ego can gain greater strength and awareness, This flower is very helpful for children who are oversensitive to unseen and unknown influences, and can also be indicated for those who may have prematurely opened their astral sheaths through drug use or occult ritual. Aspen essence calms and harmonizes the innate psychic capacities of such individuals, by allowing the conscious mind to receive and process more information. In this way, Aspen brings greater strength and confidence, and balanced use of soul forces.

Borage Borago officinalis (blue)

Positive qualities: Ebullient heart forces, buoyant courage and optimism.

Patterns of Imbalance: Heavy-heartedness, lack of confidence in facing difficult circumstances.

Borage is an excellent heart remedy, especially for the feeling of heaviness in the heart, and perhaps throughout the body. The "Borago" plant was originally called "Corago," referring to a state of courage associated with it. It is through the energy center of the heart that one's essence is radiated outward to others. At times when the soul experiences too much grief, sadness, or other adversity, the heart can become contracted and heavy. We call this feeling 'discouraged' or 'disheartened'. In order to counterbalance this, we need to be in contact with that which is light or uplifting. Courage is not only strength, but also buoyancy in the soul which helps it to rise above, rather than sink into the weight of discouragement or depression. Borage helps the heart to experience this lightness, filling the soul with fresh forces of optimism and enthusiasm. It is an excellent all-purpose balm and toner in many formulas when the soul needs upliftment and encouragement.

Mimulus Mimulus guttatus (yellow with red spots)

Positive qualities: Courage and confidence to face life's challenges.

Patterns of imbalances: Known fears of everyday life; shyness.

Mimulus is one of the most basic remedies for fear. Those needing this essence are hypersensitive and live with a great many small fears of ordinary and everyday events. They are especially afflicted in the solar plexus, which churns with fear anxiety and unease. Eventually, if these fears are not met and transformed, the soul becomes quite darkened and introverted as it withdraws more and more from the stresses of daily living., Mimulus brings the light of courage back to such souls. It helps the individual shift its fixation from myriad lesser fears to awareness of more basic, usually unconscious fear. This is a fear of the physical body, or of physical life itself, which can sometimes be traced to actual hesitation at the moment of incarnation. A pattern is thus set deep with the substrata of the soul which must be healed. Mimulus helps the soul to contact the strength and purpose of its Higher Self, and thus sets it free to experience life with greater curiosity, exuberance, and joy.

Penstemon Penstemon davidsonii (violet-blue)

Positive qualities: Great inner fortitude despite outer hardships; perseverance.

Patterns of imbalance: Feeling persecuted or sorry for oneself; inability to bear life's difficult circumstances.

The soul lesson Penstemon is reminiscent of the biblical story of Job, where unusually harsh or severe life circumstances test the soul's uttermost faith and tenacity. Those who need Penstemon seem to have been dealt an unfair blow in life. They may have disabilities or injuries that have impaired them. They may have lost a loved one, home, or possessions through a criminal act of violence or a natural catastrophe. Such souls have good reason to feel victimized; yet, in these moments of sorrow and pain, the soul must have the courage to rebuild itself and the faith to trust in a higher power. Penstemon has enormous strengthening powers, enabling the soul to tap into reservoirs of courage and resilience which are normally inaccessible to human consciousness at it deepest level of transformation, Penstemon essence shows the soul that it has freely chosen even the harshest circumstances for its growth and evolution.

Taken from Flower Essence Repertory, by Patricia Kaminski and Richard Katz.

De-Tox Diet Too Taxing

In regard to the 5 day detox diet, I made it through 2 days. I was not hungry, nor did I have gastric distress. What I had was aching bones. The evening of the 2nd day I began to hurt so bad from the waist down that it was almost unbearable. All night I tossed and turned trying to find a comfortable position and sleep was impossible. Since I had not eaten much solid food and didn't want to take any chances, I did not want to take anything for pain. I make many tinctures that are for relaxing and sleeping, etc, but felt they would be too strong. I just waited it out. By morning I decided to back off the detox program and just do it a little at a time.

As soon as I ate normally, I was fine.

Part of what is happening is that Saturn is passing through my first house in Virgo and my progressed Moon is squaring my natal Saturn. Saturn rules the bones, so this is where I am feeling stressed. I feel the desire to work on getting healthier, but must not push too hard or there will be reaction. And there was. (See my astrology blog.)

Also, I had an herb festival coming up and I didn't want to be incapacitated for that. The festival, which was a fund-raiser for the Sonoma County Herb Exchange took place at Laguna Farms, a local CSA in Sebastopol. It was fantastic. I sold my tinctures, soaps, cordials, perfumes, salves and sprays. Talked to many people about my upcoming tour to Morocco and saw friends I had not seen in awhile.

Issue of the Week - Oct 6 - Oct 12

I got a winner of the Monthly Give-away.
Today I started a 5 day cleanse program. I have wanted to do this for a long time, but I wanted to wait til my life was on a even keel. It is right now. Generally, it is best to do this type of thing in the Spring and Fall when the weather is mildest, so that the body is least stressed by temperature. I'll let you know how it went at the end of the week.

So on to the issue of the week which I am taking from the Desert Alchemy website because it is right on target with what I am doing right now myself. That is Physical Self-Care. Cynthia Kemp Scherer has written a great deal about this and I recommend you go there to read it.

No matter what else we are doing in our life, if we are not taking care of our bodies, we will fail. Not only is the body the "temple of the soul", but it is the vehicle we use to accomplish all else on this plane.

It is often the part of our life that we spend the least time taking care of. Oh yes, we eat - but what? Do we take the time to carefully choose and prepare the healthiest meals or do we grab something and eat it in the car?

Sleep is important too. In this modern culture where we are expected to accomplish so much, sleeping is considered a sign of laziness, stupidity, lack of motivation, or lack of ambition. Interestingly enough, many of the greatest minds and inventors, got their inspiration or the answer to a scientific problem while dreaming.

Our mental and psychological states are affected by our physical condition. Lack of exercise, proper diet, lack of sleep etc. can contribute to depression and stress which in turn affect our ability to eat and sleep. It can become a vicious cycle, getting worse and worse until we end up really sick and have to make some changes.

During these very stressful times, it is critical that we take care of our bodies as best as we can. Every one of us is being challenged in one way or another. Eating well is not related to how much money you have. Simple home-made food using traditional ingredients is the healthiest food there is. Most so-called 'ethnic' diets sustained people for hundreds if not thousands of years. Beans and grains, fresh vegetables and fruit supply everything you need. It's not about money. In fact, all the foods associated with wealth are more likely to kill you at a young age.

Exercise is crucial too. Our 'labor saving' devices have made us ill because we don't have to work as hard to do things. My two grandmothers, who washed clothes by hand, tended vegetable gardens, made homemade bread every week, had farm animals etc., etc., etc., both lived to 96 years old with no diseases or dementia. They just wore out I guess. Worked hard every day up to 90+ and didn't want it any other way. Refused to allow the family to install this or that. One grandma had an outhouse and would not let us put indoor plumbing in her house, because she "didn't need it." When the snow got too bad, she used chamber pots in the coal cellar. Oh yes, she shovelled snow off the first floor porch roof by climbing out the second floor window and stoked her own coal stove in the cellar by shovelling coal. And she didn't want it any other way. Neither of my grandmas ever used anti-depressants, alcohol or tobacco. They were too busy to indulge in self-pity and had no time to worry. When they went to bed at night, they fell asleep, because they were physically tired.

I, on the other hand, with my modern ways and my college education, often forget the important lessons I learned at their knees. I tend to be a sedentary person because the things I do most of the time require a lot of sitting - computer, research, writing. I can go all day without going outside the house and yet I live in a beautiful forest that tourists come to see. I have to tell myself to get up and go outside. My house is a mess, because I have 'more important things to do.' Then, I go to bed and my mind begins its mantra of worry. Fortunately, my spiritual practice has given me tools to control the spinning of my mind, but it still tries to go there. I have begun to spend less time on the computer and more time walking, doing housework or working in the garden. Already, I am noticing the effects.

Hedgehog Cactus

Inmortal

Star Leaf

Saguaro Cactus

Evening Star

Crown of Thorns

Harmonizing Addictive Patterns

Hairy Larkspur

Cliff Rose

Prickle Poppy

Integrating Being & Doing Formula

Woven Spine Pineapple Cactus

Desert Jointfir

For a more comprehensive discussion of each of these essences and how they assist with Physical Self-Care, please go to the Desert Alchemy website.

Earth Plane Announcements

I still don't have a 'winner' for the First of the Month Give-away on my Astrology blog. Not sure why. I promise I will not post your private info and I will not use your email address except to send the report. Someone did respond right away with the relevant info, but she has already gotten that report. So.... I'm hoping to hear from one of you today.

I am collecting recipes using Nigella sativa. If you have one I would love to have it.

Wise Women of the West will have a booth at the upcoming events:

Harvest and Herb Festival
Saturday, October 11, 2 to 11 pm, Laguna Farm 1720 Cooper Road, Sebastopol

Holiday Wellness Fest
Saturday, November 29, 11am to 5pm, Masonic Lodge, 373 N. Main St., Sebastopol

Come see my new products including Love Cordial, Rosy Toner, Moroccan Mud Facial Mask and Foot Tea.