Issue of the Week - March 9 - March 15

Appreciation

Last Friday Venus went retrograde (see my astrology blog for a post on that). One of the tasks for the next 45 days is to review what is of value to us. That includes both tangibles and intangibles - people, things, concepts, whatever. All of it. Do we really care about having... doing... going... being with... etc. Is friendship important to us? Honesty? Our spiritual path? Then if we decide that changes are to be made, it is suggested we wait until after Venus goes direct (April 17th or so) before we actually make any changes.

In the course of our re-evaluation, which means giving value again, or seeing if we want to give value again, we will probably discover that, indeed, there are parts of our lives, people in our lives that we really do care about. That we would rather have them in our lives than not.

Modern life 'teaches' us to be dissatisfied. To want more, to want to be more. We are encouraged to keep looking for something better. This can create a miserable life. No matter what we have, we feel something is missing. On top of that, some of us are taught to feel guilt because we have so much when others have nothing. We often end up wondering how we could feel so bad when we have so much and bad because we want more. Just bad all the time.

Instead, I feel we need to cultivate appreciation for what is. This does not mean we don't continue to strive, to try to accomplish. But it does mean that we love what we have (mind you, I am not including an abusive relationship or addictive, destructive behavior). Don't learn to love that. In cases like that, learn to LOVE YOURSELF more!

This actually leads to having more. I feel that the way it works is that if we cannot appreciate what we have, why should we be given more (that we won't appreciate)? Cultivating appreciation is not a magical method to get more, but it does ensure a level of satisfaction right now with what is rather than constant dissatisfaction. See?

Buttercup Ranunculus occidentalis (yellow)

Positive Qualities: Radiant inner light, unattached to outer recognition or fame.

Patterns of Imbalance: Feelings of low self-worth, inability to acknowledge or experience one's inner light and uniqueness.

In the natural evolution of the soul there are phases of life, if not entire lifetimes, which require that one's essential light be contained in a quiet, simple way. Although such humble expressions may not appear remarkable by outer standards, they are enormously important times

in which the soul gathers inward strength and consolidates its essence. It is important that such souls not judge themselves by conventional standards of achievement and success, becoming afflicted with feelings of self-doubt and diminished self-worth. Rather they need to recognize and honor the inner value and worth of what they truly are. In this way, they are able to shine forth with a radiant inner light that blesses and sanctifies even the most simple tasks and
obligations. Buttercup flower essence helps the soul to realize and sustain its beautiful inner light, which becomes a source of great healing and peace for all whom it contacts.

California Wild Rose Rosa californica (pink)

Positive Qualities: Love for the Earth and for human life; enthusiasm for doing and serving.

Patterns of Imbalance: Apathy or resignation inability to catalyze will forces through the heart.

California Wild Rose is among the most beautiful and fundamental of flower remedies,for it helps the soul to incarnate and really take hold of its responsibilities and tasks on Earth. It is often said that hate is not the opposite of love, only a distortion of it. Rather, it is apathy which is the true polarity of love. The ability to really care and to give oneself to life, to others, and to the Earth characterizes a truly loving soul. Many souls hold back or hesitate, not wanting to experience the pain or challenge of life on Earth. They find it hard to take emotional risks in relationships with others, preferring instead to anesthetize themselves from pain or suffering. Such souls can also suffer from deep-seated social alienation, being unable to rouse the inner fire of the heart toward compassionate caring and activity in the world.

California Wild Rose remedy is useful at all stages of life, but is
particularly helpful for adolescent and young adult souls that are longing to find positive ideals and seeking to serve the world through a calling or vocation. California Wild Rose stimulates the love forces in the heart, so that the soul finds enthusiasm for earthly life, worldly tasks and human relationships.


Sage Salvia officinalis (violet)

Positive Qualities: Drawing wisdom from life experiences, reviewing and surveying one's life process from a higher perspective.

Patterns of Imbalance: Seeing life as ill-fated or undeserved, inability to perceive higher purpose and meaning in life events.

Sage flower essence enables the Self to learn and reflect about life experience., particularly enhancing the capacity to experience deep inner peace and wisdom. This remedy addresses a natural distillation process which occurs as the healthy person ages. Throughout the course of life, trials and tribulations are placed in the soul's path so that it an distill impurities and volatile emotions, reaching an ever more clarified and refined state. Through the aging process, the soul should be able to attain increasing inner stability and peaceful acceptance of
its condition. If one is unable to experience this graceful maturation process, life events seem ill-fated and undeserved, without higher purpose or meaning .The Sage remedy can be helpful during various life phases and transitions, when one needs to step back and consider the unfolding events of life. Through Sage, the soul comes more in touch with its own spiritual meaning and purpose, and thus acquires profound wisdom to heal and counsel others.

Photos of flowers are from The Flower Essence Society website.

The commentary on the essences is from the Flower Essence Repertory by Patricia Kaminski and Richard Katz

Issue of the Week - Feb 23 - March 1, 2009

Animal Care Pt.2

Attachment

Our pets become part of our family. For those who are single, with no children, they may be the only family. Animals form attachments to places and people. How did homing pigeons acquire their name if that were not true? Migrating animals have a circuit they make, always returning to the same place at the same time of year.

Just as we become attached to our lifestyle and where we live, so do our pets. Dogs and cats are especially affected by changes of domicile, because they establish their own habits related to their environment. Moving is hard on pets. Sometimes pets leave the new home trying to return to the old home and we wonder if they love us, or the neighborhood.

On the other hand, over-attachment to human owners can be a problem too. Sometimes, we just have to leave them for a few hours or days. Dogs can cry and whine all day while the master is off at work. This can drive the neighbors crazy. Our pets need to feel happy and safe when we are not there.

So the essences for this week are related to emotional attachment in our pets.

Bleeding Heart - Breaking undue emotional attachment to the caretaker, such as whining cats or moping dogs waiting for the owner to return.

Chicory - Especially indicated for younger animals such as whining puppies or kittens, also indicated when illness may be psychosomatic or to get attention.

Dill - Overwhelm or confusion such as during travel or upset of schedule.

Mariposa Lily - Assisting mother-infant bonding, especially if the animal is being introduced to a surrogate mother; also good for young animals in a new home.

Walnut - Before and after a major move; to help break links to old places of residence; also good for animals giving birth.

This information all comes from the Flower Essence Repertory by Patricia Kaminski and Richard Katz. All the essences are available through the Flower Essence Society.

Issue of the Week - Jan 05 - Jan 11, 2009

This week I approach this from a different perspective. Since the Herb of the Month (J. Berger, Herbal Rituals) is Sage, I thought I would go from the essence to the 'issue'.

This is what The Complete Floral Healer, by Anne McIntyre, has to say about Sage Flower Essence.

'Sage enhances the capacity for drawing wisdom from experience and is particularly recommended for people who find it hard to find purpose and meaning in life. They may feel resentful about events in their lives, seeing them as ill-fated or undeserved.

Sage is a remedy especially suitable for our later years, for helping to accept what life throws up for us in a calm and detached way. It helps to enhance the wisdom that comes naturally from years of experience. Such wisdom is natural to that end of life, enabling us to be in touch with our spiritual selves, to perceive a higher purpose in life and to experience inner peace. It is a remedy to use during changes and transitions, as it enhance the sage in all of us.'

This essence is available through FES.

I had not read this before I typed it out of the book, but, as usual the wisdom of the plant kingdom chose exactly the essence that I myself need at this time. If you read my post "2009 - New Year - Fresh Start" on one of my other blogs, you will see how this essence is relevant.

For those of you not familiar to the concept of Plant Wisdom, let me say this. Plants made the planet inhabitable for animals. They came first. The Earth's atmosphere was poisonous to animals until plants converted it. At each stage of evolution, plants made the transitions before animals. So... I suggest we look carefully at the plant kingdom for clues about what's coming next.

Plant gods are at the heart of many of the religions that humans have followed for centuries. Osiris was a god of vegetation for the Egyptians, and in ancient Mayan culture, a Maize God was central. Ancient peoples knew that without the gifts of food brought by plants, we would perish. All of the animals that we eat, rely on plants for food. We do not eat predators, unless we are starving. And usually in that case, the predators get us first!

Currently I am not a vegetarian. I was in the past, but circumstances (living in the Congo) made me see that sometimes you are lucky to get anything to eat and thus it is best to be flexible and grateful for whatever you can get. For awhile, I tried not to eat beings that had faces, but then, when I began to see flowers as faces, that precluded most plants as well. So... what could I eat? Now I tune into my body and see what it needs and wants and I go with that. The only thing I never eat is pork, but, if it were a question of survival, I would probably eat it as well.

Issue of the Week - Sept 29 - Oct 5

Love

So many ways in which this is the perfect time to consider our relationships - all of them, including, and most especially, our relationship to ourselves and the Divine. For the Astrology of Now go to my astrology blog.

Love is the glue that holds the Universe together. Today with the New Moon in Libra ruled by Venus; Mercury retrograde in Libra; and Libra in Scorpio, the transformational power of relationships available to us all.

No matter how much inner work we do, the only way to see how we are doing is with other people. Right? We can be really good at fooling ourselves, thinking we are 'on the path', making progress etc., then we visit our parents for the weekend and Oh! No! Same old stuff, different day. Or we may isolate ourselves because we are 'so sensitive' and going out in the world find out that what we really are is intolerant, narrow-minded and opinionated. Boo!

Other people don't just show us our blind spots. They can give us the one word that makes all the difference. We may be in a creative process, putting pieces together on a project. Another person may have that one puzzle piece we lost under the table. Ah yes! Perfect now!

Relationships might be our 'undoing'. The area of our lives where we 'fail' more than succeed. Because of this we feel we must avoid them in order to heal. That is fine. There is nothing that says we all have to be partnered. But relationships go way beyond the personal, intimate ones.

For me the primary relationship is between myself and the Divine. As this relationship becomes stronger, all the others fall into place. I learn to know and love God more by loving God's Creation, including human beings (and myself). When I am having trouble with people, I spend more time praying or meditating. When my connection with God is weak, I spend more time with my friends. Each feeds the other.

So I would like to offer this essence from Desert Alchemy:

Unconditional Love and Support Formula

There are many essences that work on Love - in fact, you could say they all do. I chose this one, because of its simplicity. Cynthia Kemp Scherer, in her book, The Alchemy of the Desert (available on this page), writes about the simplicity of this formula. In fact, Love is simple, really.