Vanilla Orchid Blooming at the SF Conservatory of Flowers

In a couple of weeks it will officially be summer. Hopefully I will be out of my cast and able to get outside. (I broke my ankle 6 weeks ago and have not been outside since then).

My garden has been neglected, only getting watered once a week by a friend. I miss my plants so much.

I receive email from the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers. For those of you who can get there and love flowers and exotic plants, it's a must see. Since it is a large greenhouse, they can control the environment and so grow rare and exotic plants from all over the world. It's fantastic.

Right now the vanilla orchid is blooming and what I wouldn't give to see it. To read more about the edible fruit of the vanilla orchids and their culinary uses, click I use vanilla in my B.A.D. cordial. It has a way of softening and relaxing. Vanilla absolute, is quite expensive, but you don't have to use much. A Vanilla 'substitute' that I also use in perfumes and salves is Tonka Bean. It has a similar scent although milder and is affordable. I use this in my new Sacred Substance flower essence spray, part of my new 2012 line of products. I have made a flower essence blend called 2012 and the scented spray Sacred Substance. For more on 2012, go to my 2012 blog.

I feel that one issue that we all must deal with is learning to relax and soften. I know there are so many events going on that are causing us fear and stress, but as Caroline Casey says we need to slow down in order to speed up. For more on astrology, go to my astrology blog.

For culinary recipes using vanilla click

And for recipes from Sunset magazine with a Hawaiian theme, click

Speaking of Hawaii and relaxing, Jane Bell is giving a workshop this Saturday, June 13 featuring her new Hawaiian Flower Essences. Click here to go to her website.

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.