LynSusun January, 2009

Hot Colds and Cold Colds - Winter Health

Winter is coming. So are colds and the flu. Here are some tips for preventing these viral illnesses. And for getting well fast if you do get sick.

Preventing colds and the flu can be summed up in three words: Wash your hands. The viruses that cause colds and the flu most readily enter our bodies by means of our hands. Wash your hands after shopping. Remind your children to wash their hands as soon as they come home from school. A little “hysterical hygiene” goes a long way to keeping colds at bay.

Of course, there are herbs that can be used to help thwart colds and the flu. Yarrow is a clear favorite, especially as a tincture. Teachers, moms, and wise children find a dose of 5-25 drops of yarrow tincture in the morning in some liquid reduces the likelihood of getting sick by more than half.

Astragalus is gaining fame for its ability to support strong immune system functioning. I throw a few tongue-depressor-like pieces in my soups, where they infuse their goodness without imparting much flavor. Powdered astragalus can be added to almost anything, from oatmeal to pancakes, soups to gravies. And there is always the tincture, which works well in doses of 1-3 dropperfuls a day. (If at all possible, use domestic astragalus, rather than that from China.)

Eleuthero, which used to be called Siberian ginseng, is another immune system nourisher, used in the same ways as astragalus: cooked into food or taken as a tincture.

And don’t forget honey. A spoonful at the first sign of a sore throat or runny nose can kill the bacteria responsible and help you get better fast. (Note: Do not give honey to babies under 12 months old.)

And if you do get sick, here’s my favorite way to get well fast.

* Treat a cold cold with heat.
* Treat a hot cold with cold.

This may sound too easy, but it is actually one of the most effective ways I know of to minimize the severity and duration of a cold (or the flu). I first learned about cold colds and hot colds when I was studying Five Element Theory with a sweetheart who was attending acupuncture school.

It is important to remember that “cold” and “hot” don’t refer to temperature; they refer to what we might call metabolism. Thus, the person with a cold cold could very well have a raging fever and the person with a hot cold may have no fever at all. Similarly, hot foods and herbs are not necessarily cooked, and cold foods and herbs need not be refrigerated.

So how can we tell the difference between a cold cold and a hot cold? And what are cold herbs and hot herbs, cold foods and hot foods?

The person with a cold cold (or a cold flu) is pale. Their bodily fluids are copious and without color: The nose runs with clear or white mucus; the bowels are loose and the feces are light in color; urination is profuse and colorless. The tongue may be coated with a white moss. If there is fever, it is accompanied by chills. The person with a cold cold seeks heat and hot foods.

The person with a hot cold (or a hot flu) is ruddy; the face, or at least the cheeks, are very red. The eyes may feel dry and irritated. Their bodily fluids are scant and dark: nasal mucus is dry, yellowish, or “stopped up;” the bowels slow and feces are hard; urination is infrequent and highly colored. The tongue may be red or coated with a yellow moss. If there is a fever, it is “raging.” The person with a hot cold seeks coolness and has little appetite.

When you have a cold cold, indulge your desire for heating foods and herbs: Drink lots of hot spicy herbal teas with honey*, such as ginger tea, cinnamon tea, or any of the spicy “Yogi Tea” type blends. Nourish yourself with chicken soup, beef broth, miso soup. Enjoy baked winter squash, baked potatoes, baked yams, baked garlic. Eat lots of olive oil, ghee, butter, olives, and avocados. Eat beans and eat the warming grains: kasha, rye, oats. Stay warm; take a hot bath or a hot shower and wrap up snugly before going to sleep.

When you have a hot cold, indulge your desire for frozen fruit smoothies. Drink lemon and honey* water, iced nettle infusion, hibiscus and mint teas. Nourish yourself with seaweed salads, cucumber sandwiches, and fresh tomatoes with basil. Enjoy berries and melons, green salads, and roasted fowl. Eat the cooling grains: corn, millet, spelt. Eat a little something even if your appetite is small. Stay cool; take off your shoes and socks and put your bare feet on the ground. But keep covers handy when you go to sleep.

You see, cold colds turn into hot colds and vice versa. They don’t stay the same the whole time you are sick. So be prepared to pull the covers up to your chattering teeth and flowing nose even if you went to bed stuffed up and sweltering. Or to throw off the pile of covers you clutched hours earlier. The real beauty of this idea of hot colds and cold colds is the premise that everything, even a cold, will change and so the cure comes not from knowing the right answer, but in following the flow of the sickness and offering appropriate treatments. I imagine a balance scale, swinging back and forth between hot and cold, with me gently damping the swings, making each one a little less severe, until single-pointed stillness - health - is regained.

Whether dealing with a hot cold or a cold cold, you can eat as much of the neutral nourishing foods - rice, wheat, fish, honey*, and yogurt - as you wish. But, beware of taking vitamin C while harboring a cold or the flu; it is extremely cooling.

I hope these tips for preventing and dealing with colds and the flu help you, and those you love, stay in glowing good health all winter long.

Green Blessings.

(*Note: Do not give honey to babies under 12 months old.)

Tags: colds, healing, hebal remedies, herbal

• Articles

IndigoRainbow January, 2009

Merry Meet and welcome to The Witch’s Cupboard. For the next year we will learn both medical and magical uses of herbs and oils we might find in our ‘cupboards’. We will also discuss naturopathic issues that are affecting our lives.

In our rich past, each town and village had its own “medicine lady”, shaman, or healer. At the time when these individuals walked our Earth, they were revered and respected for their knowledge, gifts, and abilities to save lives and cure aliments.  From their cupboards they would bring out herbs, fruits, oils, and creams to aide in things such as easing pain, setting bones, and helping during child birth. Most were followers of the Old Ways and Old Religion and their knowledge came from teachings gathered and passed down from many generations.

But with the passing of time, much of their knowledge has been lost. The knowledge was lost partly because of the spread of newer religious beliefs and philosophies throughout the land, and also from “modernization”.  Many of the medicine women and healers were killed during the spread of Christianity. Those who were not killed, were forced to either assimilate themselves into the new religion, stop practicing, or hide in the countryside. Many of our Pagan Brothers and Sisters who continued to practice the Old Ways of Healing were put on trial and sentenced as Witches.

The few that survived and continued to pass their knowledge on generation by generation, soon fell out of fashion with the introduction of what we consider “Modern Medicine” and drugs in the form of pharmaceuticals.

Many of you probably know of some type of home remedy that your Grandmother told you, or perhaps even used on you when you were a kid. Even though your grandmother was most likely of Christian faith, her home remedy, passed on from her Grandmother, came from the Old Ways and Religion.

In recent years more and more people have started looking beyond Modern medicines and drugs for alternative methods. Many with chronic or severe illnesses are seeing the limitations of drugs, while others find themselves becoming sicker. We are given one drug to ‘cure’ one aliment, only to be given another to counter the damage done by the previous drug. The surge to find alternative methods and remedies has recently increased as a realization, even by some of us in the medical community, that many of the drugs on the market do not work and are harmful. By turning to Herbology and Naturopathic studies, we can once again embrace the methods of our ancestors and use the wealth provided by our Mother Earth to live healthier lives.

As we forge ahead into the New Year, we are in the middle of the Flu/Cold season. Some very simple things that we can make to help ward off a cold or flu or even help shorten its duration are herbal teas. Herbal teas are easily made from herbs within our cupboard by simply brewing in hot or boiling water. They help soothe sore throats, stifle coughs, and aid in internal healing.

One effective tea that can be made is a mixture of ½ ounce crushed peppermint leaves, ½ elder flower, and 1 ½ boiling distilled water. Allow the mixture to steep on your stove for about 20 minutes, then strain. A wonderful sweetener would be to add honey to your tea.

Peppermint is often used in healing and purification workings. It can be burned or rubbed against objects to clear them of negative energies, or consumed as an elixir or tea to bring about healing.

Elder flowers are traditionally used to treat influenza, colds, mucus, sinusitis, feverish illnesses and other upper respiratory tract problems, as well as hay fever. The leaves and raw berries contain toxic cyanogenic glycosides and are poisonous. Care must be taken when using this plant for herbal remedies. Throughout Europe, it was widely believed that burning elder wood brings bad luck, but that elder sprigs hung in houses provide protection from witches.

One of the more effective remedies for colds/flu and its symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and sore throat is an herbal tea made from Red Raspberry leaves. It is simply a tea made from steeping the leaves. As a tea use 2-3 tsp of dried or chopped leaves in 5 -8oz of boiling water for 5 min, discarding solid particles. Red raspberry leaves have been used for centuries to aid in everything from the flu to wounds to ulcers to pregnancy. The branches of red raspberry were hung up at doors and windows for protection. This is also done when a death had occurred, so that the flu spirit would not reenter the house once it had left. Raspberry was served as a love inducing food, and the leaves were carried by pregnant women to alleviate the pain of pregnancy and childbirth.

There are many other herbal remedies that can be used to fight the flu and cold, but the main defense against the flu season is good nutrition throughout the year.

With this being my first column for PaganPages, I only did an ‘introduction’ to the future topics within ‘The Witch’s Cupboard’. I write professionally for Herbal and Naturopathic magazines and would like to cater this column more towards our readers. I welcome your comments and feedback. I would like to incorporate in the coming months our Holidays and what herbs are related to each. Would you like me to go more in depth on certain herbs? Would you like me to add scientific information about the herbs I mention? Ideal conditions for growing/harvesting? Are there certain illnesses you would like to learn possible herbal remedies for? ? Or herbs used in Spell work?

I look forward to hearing from and “meeting” many of you.

Namaste Iammu

Disclaimer:

Please note that we are not advocating that people stop using their normal medication, but would like to make people aware that some alternative therapies can be very effective to help treat problems and create a healthier, younger and more vital you. Also, it is not recommended to use most herbal supplements during pregnancy, or during breast feeding, or for small children. But then again, although these warnings must be provided, we must ask if the warnings come from experiences using herbs or from a medical community which is afraid we will cure ourselves.

Tags: healing, herbs, holistic, magic, medicine, nature, oils, organic, teas

• Articles

Tammye Dunn October, 2008

No great thing is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig.  If you tell me that you desire a fig, I answer that there must be time.  Let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen. ~Epictetus (c. 50 - 120)

Every now and again I get glimpses of my Granny’s kitchen window.  Her kitchen was red and white – red cherries on the curtains – I think.  It was a small kitchen but always full of warmth and light, maybe because so much love came out of that tiny little room.

If you looked out of her window you were privy to an enchanted world, where dragonflies and fairies played among the leaves of an enormous fig tree.  She was such a captivating woman that as children - her word was above any god.  And she said that figs were fairy candy.  So be it.  We ate more figs than our stomach could handle.  Those were the sweetest fruit!

Now I have a fig tree in my side yard….and ya’ know the dragonflies and fairies really do dance on the leaves…..and the birds chirp merrily as they nourish themselves on the freshly fallen figs, which makes the cats tail swish vehemently to and fro, which attracts the dogs…which inevitably causes havoc.

Figs are one of the oldest fruits recognized by man. It’s no wonder the fig has been enjoyed for centuries. Its sweet, delicious flesh, long used as a sweetener before the advent of refined sugars, enhances both savory dishes and desserts.  High in potassium, iron, fiber and plant calcium, figs are also used for medicinal purposes as a diuretic and laxative.

Figs have been cultivated in the Eastern Mediterranean area for thousands of years. Archaeologists think it was one of the first fruits domesticated–as early as 4000 BC! Sumerian scribes writing on clay tablets around 2500 BC in the reign of King Drukagina mention figs, as do the earliest books in the Bible. Some scholars believe the forbidden fruit picked by Eve was a fig rather than an apple.

The fig tree figures in the founding of great cultures and religions. Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were suckled by a she-wolf under a fig tree, which later, in the time of Pliny, was revered as a sacred tree. While sitting under a fig tree, Siddhartha Gautama had the revelation that formed the foundations of Buddhism. Figs have been prized for both medicinal and dietary value. Mithridates, the Greek king of Pontus, heralded figs as an antidote for all ailments and instructed his physicians to consider its uses as a medicine. The early Greeks so highly prized figs that it was considered an honor to bestow the foliage and fruit. In the original Olympic games, winning athletes were crowned with fig wreaths and given figs to eat. Pliny of Rome said:

“Figs are restorative. The best food that can be eaten by those who are brought low by long sickness and are on the way to recovery. They increase the strength of young people, preserve the elderly in better health and make them look younger with fewer wrinkles”.

The fig tree can live as long as 100 years and grow to 100 feet tall ….. Aha! No wonder the fairies love that tree.

Blessings Be!
Magikal Martha

Magikal Fare

Stuffed Fresh Figs

Fill stemmed fresh figs with:
Cultured sour cream and grated orange peel

Figgie Pudding

½ c. butter
2 eggs
1 c. molasses
2 c. dried figs
½ tsp grated lemon
1 c. buttermilk
½ c. chopped walnuts
2 ½ c. flour
½ tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon (ginger may be a substitute)
½ tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven to 325. Beat butter until soft. Add and beat eggs until fluffy, and molasses. Add finely chopped dried figs, grated lemon rind, and buttermilk and black walnuts. Sift all-purpose flour. Resift with baking soda.  Add baking powder; salt, cinnamon (or ginger) and nutmeg. Stir the sifted ingredients into the pudding mixture. Bake in a greased 9-inch tube pan about one hour.

Fig Preserves
This recipe comes from my great-great grandmother.  It is at least 100 years old.

5 lbs peeled figs
5 lbs sugar
1 lemon sliced

Peel and quarter figs, add sugar and sliced lemon. Let stand two or three hours to draw juice, stir occasionally.

When sugar has softened, begin cooking. Bring to a rolling boil. Boil 25-30 minutes, stirring constantly so liquid doesn’t stick to bottom of pot.

After foam disappears and juice has thickened, ladle into hot jars and seal.

Magikal Abilities

Ruler: Jupiter

Type: Tree

Element: Fire

Magikal Form: The Fig tree is androgynous.  The fruit represents the feminine and the triple lobed leaves the masculine.  Use for balance.  Fig adds enlightenment, fecundity, love, power, and wisdom to beverages.

Deities: Isis and Ra

To cause a man to view his future bride
Mix together magnate dust; powdered coral with the blood of a white pigeon to form a dough. Enclose it in a large fig, wrap it in a piece of blue cloth, and then wear it around your neck when you go to sleep.

Fairy Magic

The Apsaras, also called Sky Dancers, are fig tree fairies – actually they are Devas, who come from Hindu mythology.

They bless humans at important stages of in their lives. They have been known to seduce scholars and scientists, and sexually exhaust them so that they will not discover things which are better left alone.

Evoke the Apsaras for blessings, sex magic, good luck and protection for gamblers.

And A Little Bit of Gypsy Magick

Write a question on a fig leaf.  If the leaf dries slowly, the answer is yes, or it is a good omen.  If it dries quickly, the meaning is no or a bad omen.

To charm the pants off of someone, give them a fig.  As long as they keep the fig they will be spellbound by your presence.

Tags: figs, healing, herbal

• Articles

Administrator August, 2006

I am a magician of over 30 years of experience with removing curses, disharmonies and other spiritual problems. I plan to touch upon many subjects in this column but they will all relate to spiritual problems and upsets. I feel these problems are running rampant while everyone is saying if you think positive bad things will go away.

People block themselves and the energies block them so they have these problems. It is past the point where they can think positively. The only way to help with these problems is working upon your inner self and knowing yourself. You can overcome any outside forces and be a success in what ever you want to do or be in your life.



I plan to help everyone to learn how to do this in their lives. It will make it so no matter what happens you can endure and still come out as yourself. You can enjoy your life with all of the challenges and adventures. You can also see what you did to cause the root of your problems and know how to fix it.

The basics of healing spiritual problems involve the energy system I know that everyone has read about chakras and all of the other subjects. It is only part of the problem.



Each person has an energy signature. I call this the vibration, pitch, note, key and color of the energy coming from them. It manifests as the aura, the chakras, the energy body, astral energy bodies and soul or higher self. The energy signature shows everything about you.



The next step is to realize that we are continuously being created every minute and all of our decisions, and choices are written into that energy signature to become part of ourselves. Every choice we make has a reaction and that reaction is what causes imbalances, disharmonies and discord with in our energetic bodies. The proper choices can remove the imbalances, and discord. Yet what person knows all of the proper choices and decisions to make in their lives?



All spiritual imbalances will manifest as disharmonies and blockages in the physical world. They will limit your access to God, Goddess, and all positive forces if they go against your inner nature. You will then find that no matter who you call that you are blocked from doing this by the very essence of your being until it is corrected.



Now everyone in this world is not perfect. They have blockages just like you do. No one no matter how evolved and precious they are has a perfect energy system or they would not be on this earth. We all have to work upon ourselves and our expectations sometimes do not meet with reality.



I have over the years realized that many people discard others with problems. They do not want to listen to the problems. They do not know how to help, and they act like it is contagious. It is not contagious but it is difficult to know how to help yourself and others.



The first step is to learn how to observe yourself and your reactions. The Buddhists have introspection meditation for this and it includes watching your thoughts. The worse decisions are made when we are reacting instead of thinking. It is an invaluable aid in magic because it teaches us how to concentrate and makes our mind clearer. It not only will make you a better person but also will make it so you are a better witch or magician.



I have two eBooks on how to do this from different perspectives. One is Buddhist and one follows the step program of AA and adds in reality shift points. I will have my email at the end of this article if you are interested in either of these methods. Together they cover most of the problems people have in hiding themselves from their real person.



By this I mean the real person is the inner self that follows what is right for each person. No one is identical to another so no one should judge another’s path. You do not know what the person is going through and many people act differently than what they are.



The way the world is set up today helps us to lose our individuality. It makes it so we wonder if it is worth it to do what feels right for us. We are swayed by teachers, advertising and many other stress factors to just go their way or the easiest way. They claim it is the best way and perfect for everyone.



No one has the perfect way. We may find the perfect way for us but it is not the perfect way for everyone else. The only thing that works is to use methods that make it so we heal ourselves to find our perfect path. It allows us to be the best person and in the things we have the capacity to do.



Introspection is one tool. Another tool is through how we act. The secret of living a life that has fewer problems is ethics. You do not do anything to anyone that you did not like being done to you. You try to see if I steal this apple what could happen and go through the steps of the reactions. It is taught in ethics and helps you to see the repercussions on a spiritual level. I know that if I say something mean in front of a gossip they will say it to the person I talked about. Is it worth saying anything mean because of what harm can it do? The repercussions of our actions help to cause problems in our lives by changing our energy signature in such a way that we have something happen to put what we did into perspective. It happens quickly to those studying any type of Wicca, magic or spirituality because we are the ones trying to learn to act better. I prefer the repercussions of doing what I believe fits into what is right and agrees with my inner nature. I may have problems but realize these are challenges to put my path in the right direction.



Another way that we sabotage ourselves is learned behavior from childhood and life problems. I had a Father who was ill all of the time and had money problems. My Mother obsessed about money so I have never been able to easily collect money. It all stems back to the catch phrases that we have heard all of our lives that affect us in different ways. It makes us react and that is when we make wrong decisions.



The clearer we make our energetic system the better our magic works. Most people try to be magic but we are all magic. It is part of our heritage so what we need to do is clear our connections to our inner and higher self. It will show all of us how magic we really are by how much we can accomplish.



I will touch upon many different subjects over the next few months. I hope all of you will benefit from this column and enjoy reading it.



***

author bio:

Nita Hickok

I have been a practicing magician since I was 17 years old. I am now in my fifties. I have studied many different methods and life paths. It has included Earth Magic, Wicca, Hermetic Magic and Theosophy. I also have a specialty where I am able to break people loose from being blocked, bound or otherwise harmed by negative entities, energies and people.

I have written a book How to Heal from Psychic Attack the Problem Solvers Alphabet and tested it for two years before printing it. I have worked upon Clearings and spirit releasement in many places. My main goal is to teach the people I help to help themselves so they are empowered in their lives.

I love the fact that since I have been on the internet I have had cases where I travel to different places. One of my friends says my main weakness is to dangle a round trip airplane ticket in front of me. I still do most of my work at home with the techniques I use in the astral plane for healing others.

I have two websites http://www.astralhealer.com and http://www.hermeticuniversityonline.com where I teach classes online with people being able to ask questions in forums. My contact email is nita@astralhealer.com please feel free to contact me with questions, suggestions and about the ebooks I mentioned in the article.

Tags: healing, Nita Hickok, spiritual

• Articles

Administrator July, 2006

Energetic healing and transmitting is an undervalued field. In this day and age where science and technology reign the minds of the masses as they search for quick fix pills to get rid of their health issues, relatively few are realizing that they hold the power within themselves. Not only does the body do a fine job of letting us know what problems we have to face, but the psyche does a most amazing job of giving us the answers to how to heal what ails us. It’s just a matter of awareness, of paying attention, of connecting with the Divine within. When we do that we activate our 3rd eye, our brow chakra. The energy starts to flow when we start noticing it is there. We may have to do some cleansing to awaken or activate it, but once we start using it the messages just become clearer and clearer.


Quantum Physics teaches that everything is vibrating energy. Our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual bodies are pure energy. So, for example, if we have an issue in our gall bladder, by working on increasing or regulating the flow of energy to that organ we can heal it.


"In every culture and in every medical tradition before ours, healing was accomplished by moving energy”

— Albert Szent-Gyorgi, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Medicine.


We can give ourselves or others energetic healing sessions by using visualization, crystals, stones, color, reiki, quantum touch and many more methods. Humans have been doing energetic healing since ancient times. By the conscious interaction of the energetic fields of the healer and the one needing healing people can heal each other, or rather, help a person raise their own energetic vibrations to heal themselves. Scientific studies have been done on the power of prayer, positive thinking, positive intentions, and the power of belief proving how even distance healing works on our energetic fields. The receiver doesn’t even need to be present to receive the healing. With this being said, imagine what a group of people can do, all focusing their energetic fields on healing the one or ones in need. The power of many is that much stronger, multiplying the effect. Imagine a world where all we witnessed, received and gave were loving, healing positive thoughts, images, expectations, hopes and dreams, what this planet would be like, what each and every one of us would feel like.


"Your every thought, feeling, perception, spoken word,

and performed action reverberates into the universe…."

– Swami Muktananda

My friend Wanda received a message the other day from ‘The Voices.’ She was told to send love and golden light to North Korea, that they were on the verge of another war, worse than any before it. She was also told that our planet needs us to channel our love and beam it overseas to purify the heart and thought of those who are lacking compassion and are blinded by the urge to have control. It turns out that gold light is needed when a person is deceptive, cheating, self-righteous and full of nervousness, greed, confusion and irrational fears that border on terror.

North Korea wants to pull out a nuclear weapon from its warehouse and test its efficacy, a long-range missile capable of doing great harm to the US. They have been slowly building their arsenal of nuclear weapons and now have the US and the rest of the world on alert. What brings a country to feel the need to have such weapons? What brings a person, for that matter, to the point of holding onto weapons? The feeling of fear and threat are the first obvious reasons that come to mind. What would happen if one were to back down, release their tensions regarding the other and send them positive energy, love and light? It doesn’t take much. Of course, the entire politics and economic state of the countries involved would need some serious addressing, change and transformation. But who doesn’t need that? So if we all send some serious golden light North Korea’s way we can fill those leaders with a wealth far beyond their expectations, a knowledge far surpassing the intellect, with the transmutational qualities of gold that alchemists throughout the ages have used in their ancient path of spiritual purification. They’d be revered for their illumination equal to the timeless wisdom of the Egyptian, Mayan and Aztec cultures who all understood the spiritual powers of gold.

One of my not-so-Wiccan friends asked me to ‘Emcee’ a very Wiccan-like Summer Solstice ritual she found on the internet. So we invited our alternative-earthy-hippy-yuppy-crunchy friends over for a Solstice fire women’s gathering. I had never done this before with these people, so it was an interesting challenge and a sort of ‘coming out of the broom closet’ experience for me. I wasn’t too surprised when I was asked ‘So how is it that you know so much about performing this ritual? And where did you get that funky skirt and glitter?’ It was something I think all the women involved really wanted as it was a beautiful, deep and transformational experience for most if not all. Some even expressed their feeling of connection with the Goddess that night, a connection they had only read about until that point. At one point we were standing around the fire, holding hands and meditating on global healing issues we wanted to ‘fuel with fire.’ I mentioned the need of North Korea for some golden light and love, then we all focused on that, hands tightly clenched and love flowing from one to the other and into the fire and out to the Universe. I could sense it, the power of us all, the power of us Goddesses joining as one for the sake of World Peace. Make it happen, send out your light and give peace a chance, and then dance, dance, dance!

***

author bio:

I am the Mother of 2 beautiful homeschooled children. I have been involved in earthly paganism and spirituality for over 10 years and in Wicca for 2. Caring for Gaia and living naturally have brought me closer to the Goddess. In the spiritual realm I have been developing my psychic awareness, energetic healing abilities, feminine spirit, power and sensuality along with Belly Dancing, Tantra and Yoga. My Inner Voice has been telling me to write, write, write! I can be reached at lotuswitch@bellsouth.net. I love to get feedback!! Blessings and Namaste.

Tags: healing, lotus witch

• Articles

Nyna Shtern June, 2006

Our true essence, or soul is not limited to the mere confines of our fleshly bodies. It actually expands for quite a ways out from our body for several feet. This expansion is called our aura. Most healers agree that illness begins in the aura. At the very least, the aura is affected by illness, so treating it, along with our body itself, is very important and necessary. In taking care of our aura as well is our body, we can insure that many illnesses don’t happen in the first place, then they’ll not need to be healed. One easy way to do this for yourself is to incorporate the natural healing energy of stones in to your life.

A few examples of this are as follows:

1. One of the greatest functions of the stone hematite is its ability to do wonders for the immune system. In keeping it on my body in the form of jewelry all year, I have kept myself from getting a cold or other types of nasty virus’s for years!

2. One of the greatest functions of red garnet is to strengthen the aura. A strong aura is a well protected and healthy aura, so I’m sure you can understand why garnet is my favorite stone to put with hematite for a lovely healing combination. Of course there are many other healing stones. Quartz crystal is quite the diverse stone, and it is a very adaptable and powerful source for healing on many levels. It works well with most other stones to enhance what they do as well as adding its own cleansing and healing benefits to the mix. When you channel your intent to heal in to a crystal who’s energies feel attuned to healing, the sky is the limit! I’ve used a good healing quartz to cure a hang over by allowing it with mental guided imagery, to draw the toxins from my body. In the same way I’ve gotten rid of headaches.

Stones do their healing work in our aura and this result carries over in to the fleshly body. Think of the energy of stones as working like a patch designed to aid smokers to drop the habit. Their energy is soaked into our auras and thus into our skin. I’ve helped several clients to come off unwanted medications by using stones to treat the symptoms instead.

A few examples are as follows:

1. I’ve often prescribed amethyst to treat depression and to aid in over-coming addictions. Amethyst is a powerful healer that works more on the mental level for healing of the mind.

2. I’ve often prescribed serpentine and citrine to aid in the releasing of anxiety. These two stones work extremely well together or can be used alone. While both have many functions, I’m only speaking of those that I specifically use in healing else this article could go on forever! Serpentine has a sedative and calming affect that helps to dull and then deaden feelings of anxiety, leaving a person to deal with situations without that feeling getting in their way. Citrine works to banish anxiety by cleansing it out of the aura and thus the mind. Citrine is a very powerful cleanser. I always call it the stone version of sage, and sometimes use it in its stead. When one is cleansed, negativity is gone, and that includes feelings of anxiety and anger.

3. I’ve often prescribed amber for insomnia. Raw quartz held in the hand works nicely as well, though I find amber more powerful. The two together can work wonders, though.

4. I’ve often prescribed tiger eye to ward off nightmares for a good safe sleep. Remember the very important connection of body, mind, and spirit/aura. If our mind is taxed from sleep full of bad dreams, we’re not going to face the new day at our best. Sleep is where the body, mind, and spirit do a lot of healing work among other things.

5. I’ve often prescribed hematite or quartz crystal for a quick way to get rid of a headache. I allow the hematite’s energy to sink in to my head, doing its healing work there. I suggest using the quartz along with mental visualization to draw out the headache from you into the crystal. Then allow the crystal to release it into the universe where it will dissipate. This usually takes several minutes of relaxation, and focus, but always works well.

I’ve only included a few healing stones here for the sake of space. There are many, and some prefer one to another. I’ve chosen my personal favorites to write of here in hopes that it encourages others to begin to partake of the wonderful healing energy that stones have to give. It is a natural and safe way to treat most things. Of course I’m not suggesting at all that anyone stop seeing a doctor or diagnose oneself, but there are many common ailments that we can treat at home.

Tags: crystals, gemstones, healing, stones

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Administrator April, 2006

Healing Oil

4 drops tea tree oil
2 drops myrrh
1 drop sandalwood

Mix essential oils in 1/2 Ounce carrier oil (Almond, Grapeseed, Safflower, Olive, etc)
Do the candle meditation below to promote healing.

Healing Meditation

Chose a small green candle, or a color that says “healing” to you (Or use white for all purpose)

Anoint the candle with Healing Oil, working towards you (drawing healing energy towards you) with one or both hands.

While anointing your candle, close your eyes and visualize the area you wish to heal.

If your skin isn’t sensitive, you can dab a small bit of oil on or near the area to be healed.

After anointing, if you wish, you can hold the candle in the air in your power hand (right if you’re right handed) and

make an affirmation outloud, such as “I charge thee candle for healing!”, or one that sounds right to you.

Place the candle in the holder and light it.

Sit in a comfortable position where you can view the candle.

You can watch the candle, or close your eyes while you visualize the area of your body that needs healing.

Visualize all impurities leaving that area, dying out or being swept away. Visualize that area healing and any pain or problems you have with that area leaving.

Do this for at least 15 minutes or as long as you feel comfortable with it, or it takes you to relax.

Let the candle burn out on it’s own.

*For safety purposes, never leave candle burning unattended*

***

author bio:

My craft name is Sunny. I am a 35 yr. old single mother of two and live in Pennsylvania.
I like scrapbooking, reading, crafting and enjoying the beauty of nature.

Sunnybeach7@Comcast.net

Tags: healing, meditation, oils

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Administrator April, 2006

The Good, Bad and the Ugly of relationships.

If you find yourself in the same type of relationship time after time, you might enjoy this little exercise. Take three sheets of paper, at the top of the first write Good. At the top of the second sheet write Bad. At the top of the third sheet write Ugly. With your candles lit and soft healing music playing in the background you are ready to look at and learn from your last relationship. You can also do this exercise for each relationship you have been in, including the one with your parents.

Take a few deep breaths and sit with the first sheet of paper titled Good. Allow your mind to go over all the wonderful and positive aspects of the relationship. Write down what attracted you to that person, all the great feelings you had. Name everything you can remember that was really good about that person, yourself and the relationship. Take you time.

Now take the second sheet of paper with Bad at the top and remember and write down all the hurtful, negative, painful aspects of the relationship. You might be very specific and write down situations one at the time that happened, or just general aspects.

Give yourself several days to complete these two lists. Be honest about yourself and your partner in the relationship. This isn’t an exercise to blame or judge or name call. This is an opportunity for you to really dig into the mechanics of your relationship.

When you feel ready to move onto the third page titled Ugly begin to list your regrets. Keeping in mind the other two lists as you remember and write, record things you wish you had done, said, not done or said on this list.
Take your time making this list, as it is the most insightful of the three. When you have listed your regrets move on to the last stage of this exercise.

Take a beautiful piece of stationary and at the top write “My Relationship With Love”. Begin your day by reading to yourself this statement, “I will only speak to myself with love, confidence and respect.” Having made the three lists you are ready now to discover what it is you are really seeking in a relationship with others. Note the areas which repeat themselves over and over in your past relationships. If you discover you seek acceptance, then write this down and covenant with yourself to accept you. If you seek unconditional love, then vow to love yourself in this manner.
Continue working on this sheet of paper until you find yourself thinking differently about relationships and about your part in them. Stand before a mirror several times a day and tell yourself “I love you”.

I read many years ago that relationships suffer due to two broken people coming together expecting the relationship to make them whole. This never works. We must first be whole, then we will attract others who are whole and together we will bless and encourage each other for further growth.

***

author bio:

Donna Devane is a single mom and talented artist, working on the net since 96. She creates One of a Kind (OOAK) art dolls, spirit dolls, gemstone jewelry and offers selfhealing lessons on her website. She is also a certified GIYAME healer.
Manyfeather
LyonZPath
2000

Original handcrafted Gemstone Jewelry, Spirit Healing OOAK Art Dolls, Santas, Fairy Dolls.
WWW.LyonZPath.net

My Blog
http://donnasart.blogspot.com/

Tags: Donna Devane, healing, relationships

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