New Deck – The Healing Flower Color Cards – Part 2

The Healing Flower Color Cards by Ingrid Kraaz

In Part 1, I introduced this deck and how it helped me through Walnut Flower Essence and my current life transitions (including Menopause).  Soon thereafter, I wondered how well it would work for others, and I would get my wish even before I could think about it.  My teenage daughter came home with a friend who has an interest in energy work, and asked me what was new.  I showed him the cards that are actually two decks and how they worked, and he immediately picked two cards that were colors that initially attracted him (orange and green), and then without hesitation chose the individual cards calling to him.  His choices were Pine (ruled by Mars) and Water Violet (ruled by Venus).

Water Violets - Hottonia palustris

When discussing that Pine usually referred to Grief and even alleviation of Guilt, he could see that to some degree, both of those applied to his personal situation.  I also mentioned Water Violet is the one that usually appears when shyness (either real or perceived) is an issue – and he very much agreed with that one.  I happened to have a partially-used bottle of Water Violet Essence around, but no Pine on hand.  So I was attempting to find a great substitute, particularly if it is one I made myself.

In reviewing the book, The New Encyclopedia of Flower Remedies by Clare G. Harvey, I looked at the tables in the back that were sorted by description of the issues, to see if I could find something.  Under Grief, I saw Pine listed, and also Borage, which I know builds Courage and Confidence.  I then flipped to Confidence, and the first to catch my eye was of all things, Buttercup – one of the ones I made.  Confidence also matched astrologically, since he is a Libra with a Capricorn Moon, so then it was time to grab my pendulum and dowse if Buttercup was the right essence.  Indeed, not only was it right-on, the pendulum read better for Buttercup than it did for Pine!  So the cards, in a roundabout way helped me to find what DID work, since Dr. Bach never made Buttercup!  Perfect!  I do not know the planetary ruler, but I would think it would be the Sun.

Buttercups - Ranunculus acris

In any event, I still felt that the color choices he chose were correct, so I shared with him the healing sayings for meditation, as well as the healing colors and how they work.

To enhance this process, I also dug out another favorite book, Floral Acupuncture by Deborah Craydon, CFEP and Warren Bellows, Lic.Ac. which additionally chooses acupuncture (or accupressure if you so choose) Meridian Points in which to apply the Essence itself to receive even more healing, and more quickly.  Both Pine and Water Violet emphasized Lung Meridian points, which even tells us more that he needed to more fully embrace his being, and breathing deeply is one of the best ways to do this.  I mixed his dosage bottle of essence, and he is working with the colors, meditations and even the Lung Meridian points.  The colors were Pink and White for Spiritual Healing, Turquoise Blue and Light Grass Green for Mental Healing, and Pink and Emerald Green for Physical Healing.  He recently told me that he feels much better, more confident, and liking the direction his life is currently going.  He feels better about his future than he did prior to taking these Essences – Success so far!

Now of course this whole process was witnessed by my daughter, a busy Taurus with Capricorn Moon.  She was intrigued, and wanted her own personalized Flower Essence Blend and Program.  When the first deck was showing, she chose the Turquoise Blue and Green, and after some figuring – she ultimately chose Olive and Vervain – both ruled by Venus.  Olive completely made sense to both of us immediately, because her school, work and extra-curricular activity schedule this year is rather insane.

Olive - Olea Europaea

Olive Flower Essence is helpful for those who are suffering exhaustion through overwork, and with use brings about a sense of vitality, calm and well-being, as well as much-needed energy.  Funny enough, I happen to have needed Olive in the past myself, so I had Olive on hand.  I did not have Vervain, and felt that maybe again, the research through the New Encyclopedia of Flower Remedies may reveal a more appropriate essence choice.

Vervain research speaks of over-assertiveness, i.e. a hard-driving person who pushes their will upon others and can be unrelenting and adamant.  The hard-driving made sense to us, but inflicting her will on others did not make sense.  I just so happened to find Vervain listed as an essence that is helpful for Tension, and in the same category – there was Dandelion – of COURSE!  Muscular Tension.  She has had a lot of that, especially in her shoulders (representing responsibility and burdens).  Again, Bach did not create a Dandelion essence – so it appears the cards help discover the alternate essence(s) if that is what is to be used.  And, of course, the Jupiter-ruled Dandelion was the very first essence I made.  I had been using that and already familiar with how it works, and could tell THIS was the choice, along with Olive, that would help her.  I then got a “hit” to add the Venus-ruled Self-Heal to her blend.  The pendulum was confirming – so I grabbed the Olive I had left over, placed some Dandelion and Self-Heal in it, and created her dosage bottle.  Her meditation colors were Gold and White for both Spiritual and Mental healing, and Turquoise and Emerald Green for Physical healing.  As a side note, Turquoise is an excellent Immune System Builder since the Thymus Gland is located between the Heart (Green Chakra) and the Throat (Blue Chakra).

More clarification came when exploring the Floral Acupuncture book for the applicable Meridian Points: the Olive points were Bladder points (relating to the Kidney/Bladder system, which Venus rules, and she is a Taurus).  Even more interesting, they were centered in the exact areas she was experiencing muscle pain, between her shoulder blades!  Upon reviewing the Vervain points, we came to the conclusion these didn’t really apply, and the reason is that she technically didn’t need anything for inflicting her will on others, which is a dis-trust of the Universe.  This was not her issue.  She, too, is experiencing a level of success, though not as dramatic since it resides more in the physical plane, rather than the emotional plane, and that can take more time to correct.

Not all readings are led away from the Bach Essences of course.  Today, another young man chose a Dark Blue one, and then felt compelled to also choose one of his favorite color, Yellow.  The first choice, very appropriate for his current situation of pulling away from people who are enmeshed in negative patterns, was what I call the “Just Say No” Essence – Centaury, ruled by the Sun.

Centaury - Centaurium erythraea

Although the Centaury card says “exaggerated kind-heartedness” – I have found that this essence is the one to choose when you have trouble saying “no” to people.  I used to have this problem years ago myself.  I felt I had to justify why I couldn’t do something for someone.  Truthfully, it was great news to me to learn that you indeed do not need to justify or explain your reasons of needed (or wanted) refusal to anyone.  It is enough to realize for yourself that you do not have the resources to offer assistance when asked.

Wild Rose - Rosa canina

The second card he chose was the Venus-ruled Wild Rose. I am familiar with using Rose Oil in Aromatherapy for opening the Heart Chakra and allowing love, and the Flower Essence is definitely along those lines.  It speaks of a person who isn’t fully engaged in the present, and who is not interested in experiencing life’s gifts now – “uncomplaining apathy.”  This describes his current situation very well.  He can hardly wait for graduation and to get on with his life – and doing his best to not live in the future and to live in the present.  This essence will definitely help him live fully now while he prepares for his future.  His meditation colors related to the Crown and Heart Chakras:  Gold and White for Spiritual Healing, Gold and Purple for Mental Healing, and Pink and Emerald Green for Physical Healing.

We decided to look up the Meridian Points for him as well.  The Centaury Essence, being a bitter, is assigned to the Stomach/Spleen Meridian joining point on the lower leg, which integrates a “digestion” of experience, and is related to Earth energy.  I can see this as helping to being grounded and standing up for yourself.  The assigned points for Wild Rose Essence were aligned with the Governing Vessel, which oversees all the other systems – and indeed we can see how opening up to life’s experiences can be related to this.  Not coincidentally, these points are on the back, right where the Heart Chakra would be located.  The fact the points are located in the back, rather than the front/chest area, tells me it is for helping to release something from the past that may have been the cause of that person not wishing to live in the present in the first place.  He will be getting his essences and reporting to me in the near future as to his progress.

Thank you for following along in my journey featuring my learning and implementation of these cards.  I believe they have already demonstrated their usefulness as a healing tool to me.  I look forward to more use – and education!

Flower Essences for Passing Reiki Attunements

Fluorite Reiki Symbols by Lisa Gauvain

Just a note that I did not forget to post Part Two of the Healing Flowers Cards post – I will get back to that.  Part Two will also be announced in various places, including Twitter – please add me if you tweet!  Thanks!

I have been involved with Reiki when I got my first Usui Attunement from Healer, Reiki Master and lifelong-Empath Staysee Yod in March of 2000 when we lived in North Carolina (see my Reiki/Dowsing Page for resources and more understanding if needed).  My path quickened recently, and after getting my Usui/Tibetan-Enhanced Reiki II, Staysee stopped by for a week on his way to moving to Portland, and thus I was able to finally become an Usui Reiki Master this autumn.  Perhaps this is one of the reasons I have many latent health issues surfacing now, so they can clear (and wouldn’t you know – the astrology transits match too).

I recently had the opportunity to attune two of my clients, and being rather new at this process, I was a little bit nervous.  Although I know Usui Reiki has built-in protections in its symbols, I wanted to make sure that I was in as pure of a spiritual, mental and emotional and even physical space as possible when passing on Reiki Attunements.  I immediately thought of using Flower Essences, since they have helped me get through times of shaky confidence in the past – and they may even help the recipients of the symbols too!

After refreshing myself of the procedures, I grabbed my pendulum and asked my personal Flower Essence and Vibrational Remedy collection to allow me to easily choose the Essences that wanted to participate with me when I was in the process of passing Reiki Attunements to others.  Three of them seemed to “jump” at me, and my pendulum confirmed these three as being the best choices.

Fireweed

All three come from a wonderful company, Alaskan Essences and here is my list:

1. Fireweed Combination (Epilobium angustifolium, E. adenocaulon, E. latifolium )

This is Alaska’s excellent combination of Deep Pink Fireweed (shown above), White Fireweed, Dwarf Fireweed and River Beauty.  They also sell these essences individually.  All are excellent for purification and “burning away” all that is no longer needed, and helps to transform us while at the same time feeling strong and grounded during transitions – it has similar qualities to Walnut in the Bach Flower line, but seems to work more quickly.  I am sure it is because this plant, aptly named, is the first to show up after a forest fire to help replenish the land and bring it back to life.  It is easy to see why my pendulum chose this!  I would imagine that if you already had an individual Epilobium species that any would work well.

Self-Heal (aka Heal-All - Prunella vulgaris)

2. Self-Heal (Prunella vulgaris, also called Heal-All)

I must admit, this Flower Essence I add to nearly every blend I make – why?  Because it is so good at inspiring physical healing, and for encouraging us to remember and again believe in our innate ability to heal ourselves within due to our connection to the All That Is.  It is purple, resonating with the Crown Chakra and to me, the color of Reiki healing energy (if you see other colors, that is perfectly fine).  Herbally, this much-used Celtic medicine is an excellent healer of many physical conditions.

Lilac - Syringa vulgaris

3. Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)

Oh, how wonderful that the pendulum chose this, as it is one of my favorite flowers ever!  I love the Greek legend of Lilacs as well!  We have bright purple ones and white ones, and my neighbors have light purple – and the smell in the late Spring is utterly otherworldly, and I adore making lilac flower sun-tea!  Too bad they only stay in bloom for a week or so, but it is worth it.  As a Flower Essence, Alaskan says it is excellent at alignment of the 7 Main Chakras, and I agree.  I can see why the pendulum would choose this, since the attunements will likely “take” better when the Chakras are in proper alignment!  I have also noticed that this effect, when taken over time, is helpful for spinal alignment too (and perhaps I found another clue as to why).  If this is your issue, work with a professional (be it massage, acupuncturist, chiropractor, herbalist, etc.) and integrate Lilac Essence into your therapy.

So – there you have it!  I made a small stock bottle by combining a squirt of each stock essence – and shaking it, tapping the bottom of the bottle on my palm 49 times (7×7) to “set” and thoroughly mix the floral healing vibrations, and I also placed Reiki symbols into this sacred mix.   I then made a small dosage bottle by placing 7 drops of this mixture, and then mixing with 1/4 brandy, 3/4 reiki-energized distilled water.  Again, I shook the dosage bottle, while tapping on my palm 49 times to disburse the vibration fully and before giving an attunement (you guessed it), 7 drops in a large glass of water about 20 minutes prior.

Until the end of November of 2009, Alaskan Essences is having an amazing sale on a package deal of all 69 of their Research Essences! You will notice that (if you decide to use Dwarf Fireweed for the first listed) that all three of these are included in that package.  While I have been making my own line of essences (for my clients only, not yet available wholesale/retail), Alaskan is one of my favorite retail lines.  I find they vibrate very high, and that has also been said by others even more skilled than me in Flower Essence and Vibrational Therapy work.

Looking for more ideas?  Synchronicity would have it that the most excellent Vibrations Flower Essence Magazine would feature an article by Kate McManus on this topic before I could get time to organize my thoughts (and everything else) to write about it today!  I think Purple Monkeyflower would be a wonderful choice, and I may have to try that sometime!

Thanks all!  Now – onto Part Two of the Healing Flower Cards this weekend…

New Deck – The Healing Flower Color Cards – Part 1

The Healing Flower Color Cards by Ingrid Kraaz

I recently got my hands on this 1989 deck of cards that were printed in Switzerland.  It is like having two decks in one, and both combine Color Healing with Bach Flower Therapy.  I usually use a pendulum and dowse essences with a chart, or the essences themselves, with great success.  However, I am always excited to find a new healing tool!

The first deck is the 38 Bach Flower Remedies themselves – an illustration of the plant itself, in bloom, with the description of emotional imbalances that particular essence addresses.  The reverse side is a solid color, as shown in the picture above.  These colors are different for each essence:  Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Turquoise, Dark Blue, and Purple.  They were determined by the author, as she (amongst other things) is a color therapist and vibrational/energetic healer.  These are the colors she saw of these essences’ auras, if you will.

The second deck is the 38 Bach Flower Remedies – the same illustration of the plants are used, but rather than the description of the essence – it is instead a meditation phrase that assists healing while using that essence.  While not shown in the picture above, the reverse side has three arranged colors, having two circles (one inside the other) in the center of the card, and are also intended for meditation use.  The smaller and most central, inner circle color is the spiritual healing color that essence imparts.  The second circle color, surrounding the smaller circle, is meant to address the mental plane, and the most outer color (which included the rest of the card to its border) is intended for meditation on the physical healing vibration of the plant.  All of the cards are different, though some are pretty similar in the way they provide healing.  There is one additional card that has a combined picture of the five flowers used to create Bach’s Rescue Remedy, again, with a meditation phrase at the bottom, and the reverse has its three-level healing color pattern as discussed with the single cards.

I read the insert of how to use these, and there are a couple methods – I thought the color method was more appealing, of which you can use one or two colors (more were not recommended at first).  I decided to separate the cards into those color groups, and then once I am “pulled” to a color, to narrow it down to the card that had the strongest “feel” or “touch” – and I was trying not to use my pendulum because I wanted to see the healing abilities of this tool alone.

I was drawn to the Dark Blue color the most, and didn’t feel a draw to any other color, so I narrowed the cards, and the one on the far left really felt strong.  When I turned it over, it was Walnut (33), of which was placed in the 5th Bach grouping of Being Overly Sensitive, and further described as the “Lack of Will to Succeed.”  While I think this is an excellent application of wording – I have always viewed Walnut as a transitional essence, and I recommended it for many clients trying to leave behind one thing, and embrace another.  This can apply to leaving a relationship so that there are no unhealthy attachments, or when a person decides to change their occupation.  Because Walnut trees tend to grow with nothing else around them, there is an energy of independence which allows anyone taking its essence to cut away old ties, whether we know the existence of these ties or not – and, if we do not know, we will know in the process!

From an Astrological viewpoint, Walnut is ruled by the Sun according to Culpeper, which again emphasizes its ability to “burn away” what is not in the highest good and build a sense of independence, health and vitality.  Walnut essence helps us to “shine.”  In the past, I have recommended my clients to use Walnut if they were experiencing Scorpio or Pluto transits, which tend to emphasize fear when attempting to release old patterns (and thereby things and people who for whatever reasons no longer apply in the new energy patterns).  The process is much easier when Walnut essence is taken – and most people consistently need this essence for 6-9 months, when the planetary transits (or secondary progressions) have passed.

This is also an excellent essence to transition and accept our internal timetable of physical changes, and in my case – Menopause.  In fact, I may go as far as to say Walnut is a must-have essence for transitioning this phase of life with more ease than would have otherwise been available.  Astrologically, I embody the usual Plutonian signature, as I am a Sun sign  Capricorn – Pluto entered my sign recently, and we have all experienced Capricorn’s ruling planet, Saturn in a tight closing square with Pluto, which culminated at maximum this week.  I noticed from Eileen Nauman’s Medical Astrology Blog that many were having health issues passing gall stones and kidney stones with these transits, and in hindsight, I ought to be happy my releases are through hormonal change via Menopause – OH, and the recent UTI I processed at the end of October.

This entry, of course, does not address the menopausal nutritional and herbal needs which are also a must.  That will be a topic for another day (and for those who need answers now, please check the “Herbalism” page for excellent resources).

Walnut - Juglans regia

So, I go find my bottle of Bach Walnut essence and begin taking the essence under my tongue, and my pendulum tells me I need it for about three weeks.  Thanks for reading Part 1 of the Healing Flower Color Cards.  Part 2 is forthcoming, and will be even more informative – and fun!

November Blog Party! Morning Beverages

Celestial Coffee Mug by WV Etsy Crafter "DancingPigPots"

Thank you, Dancing in a Field of Tansy, for hosting this awesome Blog Party!

No matter how disconnected from ourselves (and our planet) our modern Western culture seems to be; the one thing that seems to bring us into a connected space, even if only briefly, is the ritual of our waking beverage for the day – and I often think the ritual of preparation is just as important as the beverage itself!

I eagerly read with interest the participants’ posts from this Blog Party, since many have varying degrees of herbal expertise, and are therefore more aware of, and connected to, the Earth energies.  This connection is a wonderful place to find our own sanctuary and healing that can help us get through the day, and also to be a nutritional building block toward long-term health.

I am reminded of the days when I was the on-staff Astrologer/Tarot Reader for a place that provided many different modalities of Massage, as well as Acupuncture and Chiropractic – and they had a wonderful stock of bulk Chinese Herbs.  Since I hadn’t yet become an Herbalist, I was intrigued by comments made by these practitioners when they were observing energetic patterns of their clients – most of which were high-powered executive types.  The one I will not forget:  “You sure can tell which people drink a lot of coffee.”  When I asked them why, they told me that their liver meridians were utterly aggravated from over-stimulation, and that they were often dehydrated, and the energy was therefore stagnant and very difficult to move out of the body – and often their skin was toxic in one way or another (acne, eczema, etc.).  They told me over time, this can be very aging.

Coffee astrologically can be ruled by Neptune, due to the fact it acts as a “drug” but classically, it aligns with Mars, the Planet of Physical Action (which also rules Blood, Muscles and Anger), and I would also give it a Co-Ruler of Saturn, due to not only other plants in the same family sharing this ruler (i.e. Cleavers), but also its application of being able to block out everything in order to accomplish a task (and as an interesting side note, Tobacco is ruled by Mars as well).  The Liver in Western Medical Astrology is ruled by Jupiter.

This got me to think about how when I lived in North Carolina (interestingly, near my Mars and Jupiter line), I literally craved espresso-strength coffee every day, sometimes several times a day.  I was a single mother at the time with no family nearby, working many jobs while creating situations that didn’t require paid day care for my elementary-aged children.  I had more skin flare-ups, and  lost weight (compared to when I lived in Southern California, and I was already thin), and in hindsight, I have no idea how I did it all, coffee or otherwise.  I looked back at pictures of myself right before I left and I could see what they were talking about – the rather gaunt, aging energy.  I actually looked younger when I had moved back to my Venus and Saturn lines in California – and in doing so, I didn’t crave coffee.  I do like the taste every now and again, and I only drink it when it is the “good” stuff, and skip it entirely if it is the run-of-the-mill American style coffee.

Over time, I did learn that my coffee threshold is lower than I thought it was.  If I drink coffee at the same time of day for three days in a row (no matter how small or large the amount), by the fourth day, my body expects some coffee, and I have withdrawals.  This is perhaps a good thing, because I have learned I also like other hot beverages in the morning – like P&G Tips British Tea.  I do not experience withdrawals of any sort when drinking tea, no matter how much or how long I drink it.  I also like Green Tea, but only in the summer (and I just drink that plain).

What can happen though, is mineral loss.  I didn’t realize how prevalent this is, until I studied Herbalism.  I also realized the tannins in both coffee and tea can interfere with nutritional absorption.  While dairy milk can cut this, the mucus-building properties also interfere.  The use of table sugar actually decreases a body’s nutrition, and you can be better off not eating anything.  To alleviate these problems, I do not consume food with my coffee or tea beverage, and eat at least an hour later.  Since I would be a “cream and sugar” type, I have replaced these tendencies with organic non-dairy milks (I tend to switch around so I don’t get too much of one thing, particularly soy, and I now want to try Stephany’s recipe), and use raw local honey, organic agave juice, or stevia as a sweetener (the last two being good choices for diabetics, and the last one being a good choice for anyone dealing with urinary or candida/yeast issues).

If you must use dairy sourced milk, try raw goat’s milk right from a goat farmer.  If you have no access to this, purchase pasteurized organic milk or cream – and as recommended by Doctor of Ayurveda, Vasant Lad, heat the milk to be used carefully to boiling, and use immediately.  Pasteurization does not fully break down proteins and sugars that can be hard on our digestive systems, and while we do not get the enzymes this way, this is still a better alternative.

So in light of all of the above – what DO I drink in the morning?  Most often, it is this wonderful mineral-building herbal tea blend (which is technically an infusion).  It is better than any multi-vitamin and mineral supplement I ever tried, due I am sure to the greater nutritional absorption that occurs because it is food-based!  In a large tupperware-type container, I mix roughly equal parts of the following herbs:

Red Raspberry Leaves, Oatstraw, Nettle, Red Clover, and Comfrey Leaves (for some, Comfrey could cause a problem due to liver-affecting constituents, do your research)

I use Distilled Water, as it pulls the most nutrition from the herbs – use the best water you can get.  Then, I occasionally add a pinch or so of these, depending on what I feel like, or what I need:

Yarrow, Rosemary, Sage, and Alfalfa (for Winter)

I allow to steep for 15 minutes, and I often have this in the morning AND the evening before bed, no sweetener.  Its “green” taste is so grounding and gently empowering, which can allow me to get stuff done.

However, there are days when I want British Tea, and I do indulge!  Although I love black tea blends (i.e. Earl Grey with agave and squeezed lemon is a good example), I often find myself just liking these types of tea on their own, with a bit of sweetener and non-dairy milk.

When I want coffee – I have it.  Because of coffee’s strong taste, there are a wide range of herbs that can mix well with it, to bring about health benefits that may not be available otherwise:

1/2 to 2/3 freshly ground organic shade-grown dark-roasted coffee

1/3 a changing combination of roasted chicory root, roasted dandelion root, or even burdock root or yellow dock root (all good liver herbs)

Then – finish off with one of my favorites, Turmeric (be careful-it stains) and spice it up with a small amount freshly-ground Cardamom – its uplifting qualities can be compared to Chocolate!  After brewing, use agave juice with boiled cream or thick non-dairy vanilla-flavored milk – DELICIOUS!!

As a matter of fact – I tend to like approximately 1/2 tsp. Turmeric on its own in a cup of boiled milk and raw honey – too bad it doesn’t “suspend” very well, so stirring constantly while drinking is often needed (and it is worth the hassle).  A touch of Cardamon is a nice addition, as would warming spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg!  Later, I hope to experiment with a vegan version, wherein I would whip part of a banana into the warmed nut/grain milk along with these spices (and I may alleviate the suspension issue at the same time)!

Turmeric, also called Yellow Ginger, is one amazing versatile herb!  Medicinally, it helps clear lungs, decreases arthritic joint inflammation, and is wonderful for the liver and pancreas (and I know diabetics who love it).  It is the ingredient in curry powder and regular mustard that makes these yellow and (as mentioned) has been used for a yellow dye.  Along with a non-tap water choice (distilled or spring), a daily dose of Turmeric (approximately 1/2 tsp.) has helped conditions of Gout nearly disappear.

Thank you, Kiva Rose, for letting me know about this Blog Party – it was fun!  More importantly, thank YOU to my readers – I hope you learned some things today.  I know I have!

Herbs for Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

Cleavers - Galium aparine

I want to first take an opportunity to tell all of you who have signed up for my new Blog here at WordPress:  Thank you!  It is an honor to share my experiences and wealth of accumulated information with you – and today is no exception.

This week has been difficult for our family due to the passing of my teenage daughter’s close friend who had accidentally drowned (not knowing how to swim and being alone in a pool).  Seeing how this is indeed the “death” time of year, we didn’t expect someone so young to go beyond the veil way before his time – or so it seemed from our naive mundane viewpoint.  Only he knew his soul contract, and whether he accomplished things in that contract – and it isn’t for us to know.  We do know the one thing that we take in death is love, and that we will indeed see him again when the time is right.

During this releasing process, my body apparently took an opportunity to release a very old energy pattern that apparently I had subconsciously and automatically locked inside of it for quite some time – likely for what was at the time survival reasons that were not even in my awareness.

Whether our belief systems include reincarnation and past lives, or whether we tend to carry these patterns ancestrally through genetics (be they strengths or weaknesses), I find it doesn’t matter much, because it often is played out in our mundane lives at one point or another.  I have consciously been on a healing journey since 1993, and have corrected many patterns of behavior and thought that relate to fear, and particularly anger, and how to process it.  Many people believe that once you have mastered your behaviors that all prior problems with that pattern just disappear.

Maybe for them, but speaking as a quadruple earthy Capricorn, ruled by Saturn (the planet of physical matter), I have noticed that even when a new pattern is mastered, that it can take years to fully process the old patterns, and in my case, that is almost always through the vehicle of a physical illness.  Consciously, this is not the most comfortable way to deal with releasing – I would much rather do it like others, through dreams or visions,  or even through one day of just crying in the bathtub.  However, when the pattern is stored in your body on a physical level (and I am sure the body “walls” it off as to not disturb the rest of my body), I suppose when that “wall” is dissolved through new thoughts, behaviors, energy work and even nutritional changes, it makes perfect sense for the releases of old energetic imprints to be released physically, through ailment.

In the current case, the expression of the old pattern release is a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), which is the second one I have had in a year’s time, but never having one before in my life of well over 40 years.  According to Louise Hay’s You Can Heal Your Life, this is about anger (“pissed-off”) and often at the opposite sex, especially a partner.  Is this my issue now?  No, and not for years.  Was it an issue?  OH yes!  It is also a family patterning, in that my mother tends toward UTI’s often, and we had discussed the differences between the way we handle our emotions – and she definitely suppressed her anger more than I did.

So, I receive even more confirmation from Spirit that herbal training was an excellent conjunct to my astrological and other training – if for nothing else than to assist the physical issues to process as quickly as possible.  This does not deny the use of energetic healing methods like Reiki or Flower Essences – in fact, it may have been these things that are helping remove these energy patterns too.  However, it is nice to know there is action to take physically, through the amazing plant kingdom, to bring that process of physical wellness more quickly than with energy work alone.

Any healer that has decided to heal themselves will tell you it is much more difficult than providing healing energy for others.  The reason is that the healer is not responsible for the recipient’s healing, but when the recipient is oneself, you are the healing instrument AND you are responsible – it can be tricky to coordinate these two tasks, but a healer than can do it is usually a fantastic healer for another.  Maybe because what we really are is healing teachers and healing facilitators – we actually heal ourselves with this help.

Being ever grateful for my herbal training, along with raw Garlic and unsweetened Cranberry Juice, I used herbs similar to Dr. Christopher’s for the first UTI occurrence at the 2008 Winter Solstice, and they worked in 3 1/2 days!  This summer, I had been inspired by Herbalist Kiva Rose to more fully explore the herbs that grow in my yard (commonly known as weeds), as it is much better to really have a relationship with the few herbs that decide to grow here, and not only know all of their possible applications, but to really have a relationship with the plants themselves, to understand their energy patterns, their astrological alignments (if known), and the extent of that herb to meet my intentions of healing at that particular time with particular situations.  While gathering many, I noticed many had qualities of healing the kidney and bladder areas, even if they worked differently to do so, and I thought that was interesting.  Now I know why!

While in great pain on Saturday early afternoon, I brought my pendulum with me to dowse which dried herbs, as well as herbal vinegars and herbal tinctures, would be the best energetic match for me, as well as the release of the UTI condition.  I did not have Cranberry Juice this time, and I wanted to see the effectiveness of these herbs on their own (along with avoiding all sugars, coffee, and non-herbal tea – and drinking at least 1/2 gallon of reiki-energized distilled water per day).  Here is what came up, and I did all the following:

Dried Herbs for Tea (also called an Infusion):

These herbs I had kept onhand in jars, and most were obtained from my local herb store:

Parsley, Nettle, Yarrow, Oatstraw, and Comfrey (small amount, due to constituents that could affect liver – usually not a worry, do your research)

1 tsp. combined herbs per 8 oz nearly-boiling water to steep 15 minutes per cup – 3 or 4 cups per day

I didn’t sweeten at all, but if you need it, you can use stevia – or if you prefer a salty, soup-broth taste, try a hexane-free tamari sauce instead.

Herbal Vinegar:

Goldenrod (if you want to know how to make it, Susun Weed has a nice tutorial, and I like the dill-like taste)

1 tablespoon prepared vinegar – 3 times per day, chase with water

Herbal Tincture:

Usnea (in Everclear) – 4 drops*

Dandelion (in Brandy/Vodka) – 10 drops

Cleavers (in Brandy/Vodka) – 10 drops

All three, 3 times per day, chase with water

* the Usnea Lichen grew in woods near where I live, not in my yard.

Additionally:

On the first day, I decided to smash a pretty large clove of Garlic and spread it on my over-medium farm-fresh eggs that we get from a friend.  Raw Garlic can be harsh to eat on an empty stomach – I am especially sensitive to this, as I have difficult nausea-type pain, and sometimes gas, which says that it is working – eating with food usually alleviates that for me.  And, it tasted wonderful!

Self-Reiki was also implemented – I used the Sei He Ki symbol visually on my Kidney, Bladder and Urinary Tract area.  I also decided to rest, since that helped alleviate the pain (I guess gravity makes it worse sometimes).

For those interested in Planetary Rulers – of those I could find:

Cleavers (Galium aparine):  Saturn

Comfrey (Symphytum officinale): Saturn

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale): Jupiter

Goldenrod (Solidago Canadensis): Venus

Nettle (Urtica dioica): Mars

Oatstraw (Avena sativa): Venus

Parsley (Petroselinum crispum): Mercury

Usnea (Usnea spp.):  (Unknown at this time)

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium): Venus

Results?  How about gone in 2 1/2 days? I couldn’t be happier!  I also cannot stress enough to learn even a layperson’s knowledge of herbs if at all possible.  Not only will it help you and your family achieve wellness more quickly and to not just mask symptoms, it gives a great sense of self-empowerment to know that many (unsprayed) plants we find in our yards can heal us – and your bank account stays happy too!  If you haven’t already, please explore my Herbalism links page on my blog to delve into a few resources.  Thanks for reading today!

How to Make Dandelion Flower Essence!

Dandelions!

(Originally Written June 18, 2008 – Enjoy!)

Now that the weather is warm, I try to get outside as much as possible. Living in Montana USA makes me appreciate the seasons more than ever. Although I was born here (so I have ancestral connection), I was raised in California, and mostly in San Diego!

I have been called by the plants here in my yard to begin making my own line of flower essences. You see, I had always purchased them in the past. I have used flower essences for healing me, my family, and my astrological clients for at least ten years. I “dowse” the right essences most of the time. To explain how flower essences work for our healing, the simplest way is to tell you that nearly all sickness happens in the emotional realm before manifesting physically. The flower kingdom (as well as other kingdoms) provides different re-educational “messages” that go directly to the emotional body of a person, “flood” the vibration of that person with the particular flower(s) that is needed for healing, and the emotional body responds by “matching” the new vibration – however, when this happens, we often get some wake-up calls about what was wrong in the first place. You can tell someone until you are blue in the face what is happening, but until they are in that “space” nothing will happen. This is why flower essences work, and often counseling is just too darned slow! Along with physical treatment if needed, healing occurs and because the emotional plane has been cleared of the imprint that attracted the issue to begin with, it will likely not reoccur.

So, my first essence was Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), since they bloom first. If only we can ALL be as utterly RESILIENT as the Dandelion!! Astrologically, it is ruled by Jupiter (which in medical astrology rules the Liver, and it seems appropriate since one of Dandelion’s best physical qualities is detoxing the Liver). Because of its yellow color, I also knew it would help the solar plexus chakra, which coincides with the Liver area. However, when preparing, I “felt” for no apparent reason that I needed to provide a healthy and strong Saturn influence, so I made the essence on a Saturday (ruled by Saturn) and at first, I wanted to use the Jupiter hour – and interestingly, Jupiter and the Moon were both together in Capricorn (ruled by Saturn), making a wonderful aspect with Saturn, in Virgo, the sign of health! However, to wait for the Jupiter hour would have too late in the day, so I decided to instead use the Moon hour since it was with Jupiter anyway!

When the Moon hour came in the afternoon, I was prepared with my Reiki-energized distilled water and instead of using a round glass bowl, I was “directed” to instead use a square one. Odd, I thought – and then I realized the “square” shape is again emphasizing the Saturn influence. Apparently, this essence will have a strong physical signature rather than just an emotional one. In reading about another company who manufactures Dandelion flower essence, there is a mention of helping an over-driven personality type to not only calm down, but to understand, and then release, their constant muscular tension. Perfect! I learned that many massage therapists who work with the essences add Dandelion (amongst others) for their treatments by either adding a few drops to the massage oil, or spraying the room with Dandelion-infused aromatherapy waters.

I dowsed which patch of Dandelions wished to participate in my healing essence making. I was then careful to place the square glass bowl in the sun with no shadows, poured in the prepared water, and sat with the Dandelions. As a modified way of creating a spiritual area via the Elven Path, I called upon the golden light and the silver light that would be as if they were “mists” in my area, and I toned this area in Elvish. I then asked for help from the Valar, the Elven Pantheon, especially Vana the Ever-Young as she has dominion over flowers. I also asked for help from the couple Lorien and Este, since they possess healing qualities, particularly when we sleep – Lorien through dreams and uplifting inspiration, and Este through physical regeneration through sleep. Also, Nienna, she-who-cries is a very powerful healer. Then, I hand-picked all of the Dandelion flowers that wished to participate in the essence making, and asked that the “devas” or plant spirits would enter the water to serve other life in need of their vibrational healing qualities. I then sat with the Dandelions for a time while their flowers were in the bowl of water and just allow myself to bathe in these vibrations. I noticed I was indeed feeling physically better, with more energy. Upon using the rest-room when I came in the house, I then knew my body was listening to the “release” message! Success!

I dowsed that the bowl needed to be outside for two hours for the completion of the essence process, but I left it outside for about three. I brought the bowl into the house, of where I already had a jar waiting that was half filled with Christian Brothers Brandy, which has 40% alcohol, which helps preserve the vibration in the water (and keeps germs out). This brand was recommended by a rather well-known and excellent quality flower essence company (Alaskan Essences) and was what they used until they obtained an exclusive organic brandy for their use.

After pulling out the flower heads with my hands, I then poured the water through an unbleached coffee filter that I energized to allow all of the “essence” to come through and to just block out miscellaneous petals, bugs, and the like. I had some of the Dandelion water left over after I filled the jar with the brandy, so I just decided to drink the water. I could REALLY “taste” the Dandelion – WOW! Never thought of that before!

I then mixed up this “Mother Tincture” of Dandelion, and decided to make a “dosage bottle” for myself to take. I got an empty one-ounce dropper bottle, and I was directed to put 4 “squirts” of the Dandelion mother tincture into it. Then, I filled it a quarter of the way with more brandy, and then filled it up to the top with distilled water I energized (you could also use spring water to make everything).

To take an essence, you usually need 2-3 drops 3-4 times a day. I add mine to my distilled drinking water all at one time and drink it throughout the day (and I usually drink between 1 and 2 quarts of water a day, which I guess would be about 1.5 liters). If a person has alcohol sensitivity, they can apply the essence to their wrists, or place a few drops in an aromatherapy mister and spray externally, which is a wonderful way to experience essences!

I have been taking this essence in my drinking water for about two months now. I have noticed some progress, but I am no where near done – my pendulum tells me I need to take the essence for eight full months to achieve healing! In other words, the “message” of Dandelion for me needs to be repeated to my emotional body’s vibration constantly for eight months until my body’s vibration “matches” the vibration in the Dandelion flower essence. So, I look forward to learning how, and why, I hold body tension in my muscles.

I also recently had somewhat of a “reflexology” for my feet from a friend of mine, and I had her place some Dandelion essence from my dropper bottle on her hands first before doing so. Not only could I feel it, but she could! She is very empathic and thought she should keep some on-hand, so she later brought over one of her own bottles and I mixed her some for her work!

I look forward to making more vibrational healing essences from the Flower Kingdom. I didn’t know I could have so much fun and that it was this easy (and over time, it will be much less expensive, and I can share with others much easier!)

More on Flower Essences HERE – Thanks for reading!

Psychic Times International Magazine – I am interviewed by GL Giles!

Psychic Times International Magazine - Summer 2009 Issue

I thought I would post something pretty awesome for my first blog post with WordPress, and here it is – for your reading pleasure!

I was interviewed by the ever-awesome Vampire Fiction Author GL Giles for Psychic Times International Magazine, and I even made the cover if you can believe that! It is available for print in Delaware and a couple of surrounding states, but is also available FREE online! Here is a direct link to the PDF – your computer will need Acrobat Reader to read and enjoy!

Also, for back-issues, etcetera, here is a link directly to the Psychic Times International Magazine Website.

I just found out today that Time.com ranked Issuu.com as a Top 50 website.  Psychic Times utilizes Issuu’s online magazine services, and they host many thousands of online magazines.  Imagine how EXCITED I was to learn that Psychic Times International Magazine is in their Top 100 right now – in fact, it ranks #66!  WOW!!

You guys are the BEST!!
Lisa