Heart Springs Sanctuary: A Healing Journey

I have exciting news! We have moved to Heart Springs Sanctuary in Washington Boro, Pennsylvania!!

Heart Springs Sanctuary is a gorgeous 4.5 acre property with 3 ponds, classroom space, healing office, and vibrant Nature Spirits who are very excited to work co-creatively with Humans.

For years, I have been praying and visualizing a center and I truly cannot believe how amazingly my prayers have been answered!  Actually, Heart Springs Sanctuary is more magical than I dreamed.  There is much work to be done, gardens created, labyrinth built, ponds balanced, boxes unpacked… and yet, when I spend time on the Land, I am overwhelmed with Gratitude, Joy, Awe, and utter Love. I look forward to sharing this place with you!

A huge Thank you to all of my clients, students, and customers who have been incredibly understanding as I made this transition.

It has been a long road to get here (besides the years of work), the packing and moving were overwhelming and difficult. During the process, I realized that moving mirrors our healing journeys.

When I move, I get excited and immediately pack my books. They are easy to fit into a box and I quickly make noticeable progress. When we start a healing journey, we too are happy to move forward and embrace the first easy, quick changes with gusto. Thinking, “Bring it on! I’m ready to heal!” Or “I’m ready to be done with this!”

As I continue, I start finding items that trigger memories, some sentimental and wonderful and some difficult. When this started to happen, I was happy to clear out and release items and memories that no longer seemed relevant. I was seeing how much I’ve changed and healed since I moved 3 years ago. And there are others, that I continue to want or need in my life, so I packed those items. In our healing journeys, we too find triggers of memories, some we release easily and are happy we are able to let them go, these may have been patterns or wounds that we have tried to release for years; which we are now able to. We may find other memories or patterns, we’ve forgotten, perhaps special accomplishments or treasured people. And we may also come across painful memories or patterns that we just aren’t ready to face and so we may “pack” those away for a later time.

Moving down my path of packing and cleaning out, I eventually come to the overwhelm. My original enthusiasm has waned, exhaustion has set in. Usually at this point, I am dealing with items that aren’t easily packed or that I do not know what to do with, and if I’m honest, my emotions are pretty high. I’m rather vulnerable from all the work that I have done, all the memories I’ve dealt with and I want to say “Enough!” I just want to be finished or I want someone else to come in and do the work. I know this stage of a healing journey well (both for myself and my clients). This is when things get really uncomfortable and it is also when we have the opportunity for deep healing. Sometimes when we reach this stage, we stop, whether conscious or unconscious. Or we might decide we want to try another modality or change practitioner (of course, this is an unconscious way of stopping the work). Sometimes, we turn to substances to “help” us: prescription medications, alcohol, junk food … Sometimes we revert to old patterns. And of course, sometimes, we dig down, we gather our support, we take a deep breath, and we proceed, knowing that all of this is temporary and ultimately is an illusion and once we get through, it will be more than worth it. It is a magical moment when my clients choose to move forward and really heal the issue. I am humbled and honored to witness this.

Let me tell you, this stage is rarely pretty. This is one of the many reasons why it is great to work with someone to guide our own healing. When I hit this stage during my move, I felt an old, old pattern come up. It took all of my reserves and my incredible Plant guides to help me move through it. As a practitioner, when my clients reach this stage, I know that I have to hold them lovingly and compassionately, while continuing to encourage them forward. I know that sometimes people need to take a break and a breather before they can move beyond this stage. And I’ve also witnessed people completely stop and slide back into their old ways. It is all okay, we have free will and the great thing about life is that we have an infinite amount of second chances. Sometimes it takes lifetimes, yet we will eventually learn what we need to learn and heal what we need to heal.

As much as I wanted to, I of course, did not stop with my move. Which allowed me to get to the next stages: moving day and unpacking. In the healing journey, moving day is when you realize you truly have finished with the trauma, pattern, limiting belief, etc. And just like the moving process, we also follow this with an unpacking process. The unpacking is when we get to reorganize our life, create it the way we want it to be. We realize that we are free from the burden and now design our life to reflect this.

Of course, this is not the final stage, for life is cyclical, not linear. As we unpack, whether books or our healing journey, we again are faced with memories or patterns. We can arrange these how we want them. Some we will display prominently, some we discover we no longer want and will release, some we may keep in a box in the basement and others may start us down the rabbit hole of healing again, this time with fresh eyes.

Hopefully, we are not constantly moving (at least this is my hope), nor are we constantly having major healing crises. It is good to settle, feel Home, and enjoy the gifts of life. And it is also good to do minor clean outs or organizing. We can too easily get stuck in our ways or accumulate, be it material objects or energetic. Change is good. This is why we say that Plant Spirit Healing is about maintenance, it is important to clean out, fill up, and readjust from time to time. That does not mean that we need to wait for crisis nor that the process has to be difficult. Healing and cleaning can be easy too, especially if we take care of what is needed early, rather than stuffing it away in a box, shoving it into the basement until we can no longer walk through our basement.

Wherever you are on your healing journey, I wish you Love and remember that the Plants are always there to help, sometimes we just need to ask.

A Love Affair with Plants

A Love Affair with Plants

Earlier this year, I had the great pleasure and privilege of spending time with the Plants of Vieques (Puerto Rico) and Ecuador. I knew that I was going to make Essences, work with the Plant Spirits and most likely receive healing. This all occurred AND unexpectedly, my Love affair with Plants grew even deeper, I was on my “honeymoon” with Plants. I say unexpectedly because I already had a very deep Love affair. As the Plants (and my children) teach me, there is no end to Love, our Love can always grow.

I returned from these trips revitalized and awakened and excited to share the Plant Beings with others.

So who are these Plant Beings?

When we take time to stop and think about it, we understand that our lives depend on the Plants. It is they, through their process of photosynthesis, who give us oxygen to breathe. We eat their flesh (including in the form of meat) to nourish our bodies and give us energy. Some of us consume certain Plants we call Herbs to help us heal or keep us healthy. We know that Plants are great at cleaning our environment of pollutants.

Is there more? Do Plants have something else to offer us?

I say “YES!”

Plants have always evolved before animals/humans. Even now, they continue to be our evolutionary guides. They have much to teach us. Here is the great thing, because we are connected, when humans increase their consciousness, we raise the vibration of Earth, which in turn, allows Plants to evolve and fulfill more of their purpose, which in turn helps humans to increase their consciousness. Do you see the cycle? The importance of co-creative partnership becomes even clearer.

One of the great gifts of Plants is that they help us achieve Heart Coherence and move into Heart Intelligence, which means that they help calm our nervous system, allowing us to move into a receptive state where we focus on solutions and can see a broader picture. This has enormous impacts on our well being (on all levels). I frequently suggest that my clients spend more time in Nature, sitting with Plants or breathing with Trees. It is amazing how even 1 minute doing this can completely shift how we feel. This is a great tool for anxiety and stress. I now know to recognize that when I start to worry, am agitated, or feel like the sky is falling, I have not been spending enough time in Nature. Fortunately, listening to the Plants sing with the Music of the Plants device has a similar effect, which is especially beneficial in Winter.

When we look outside at the Plants, the predominate color is green. Green is the color of our Heart chakra. Is this a coincidence? Well, I don’t believe in coincidences. I think this is Nature’s way of telling us we are Love(d) and surrounding us with Love.

All of these benefits are available with very little effort from us. When we want to take up our role as part of Nature, to become the true creators we are, we need to move into reciprocity. With reciprocity we shift from blind consumers to active participants. A reciprocal relationship requires gratitude for and recognition of the incredible Beings that Plants are. Thus we move towards a deep intimacy and can work with Plant Spirits (and other Nature Beings). Our Love affair begins as we embark on this journey with the Plant Spirits.

What is Plant Spirit Healing?

I am asked this question frequently. I struggle to explain because Plant Spirit Healing is broad and full of so many possibilities it is difficult to put in a sentence. The easy description is that we work with the Plant Spirits to bring healing to a person or situation. However, there is no limit to how you work with the Plant Spirits. For instance, yes, I work with them every day in sessions with my clients. Sometimes we are working with Mugwort to remove or balance energies. Other times, I’m working with Plant Spirits to add more energy. Or we might work with Tulsi for Soul work.

And then there are the ways I work with Plant Spirits outside of my office. Years ago, I had to get a root canal. I do not use novocain with epinephrine, which worried the endodontist. I called on Mugwort and asked for help managing the pain. Instead of being a painful experience, it was blissful! Even the endodontist and nurse noticed the difference. We all left feeling happy and peaceful. While getting a massage, I will typically call on a Plant Spirit to help with a knot that won’t release or a particularly tender area. When I am feeling uncertain or wanting guidance, I call on the Plant Spirits to help me. I, of course, ask the Plant Spirits to guide my gardening, helping me to decide where to plant certain Plants. I also work with Plant Spirits to help bring healing to an ailing Plant.

Recently, I was in a business meeting where someone asked me to do something I knew was impossible. (I rarely, almost never, use the word impossible.) I knew that what she was asking would require a miracle. I kept saying to her, “There has to be another way.” To which, she would reply, “No.” Finally, I internally said, “Agrimony, Artemisia I need your help! Please change this situation NOW!” In less than 30 seconds, she looked at the papers that she was holding and said, “Oh, this will work!”

The Plant Spirits are the cornerstone of my life. They are my colleagues, my guides, my teachers and mostly, they are my BeLoveds. I cannot imagine my life without them. I would be truly lost. I was lost. Here’s the thing, this wisdom, healing, and guidance is available to anyone. We are meant to be in close relationship with Plants. As I said, our very lives depend on them.

If you would like to increase your relationship with Plants, spend time with them. Observe them, look closely at their flowers or how the water goes down the bark of a Tree. Experience them: smell, taste, touch them. Breathe with Plants, recognizing that your breath is a gift to the Plant and the Plant’s breath is a gift to you. Draw them. Sing to them. Daydream with Plants. Journey with them.

If you want to gain insight or guidance from the Plants, yes, it is helpful if you know how to communicate with them. However, this is a birthright, that we all knew how to do when we came into this Beautiful World. I tell my classes that my job is to clear away the limiting beliefs and trainings that told you you couldn’t talk to Plants. My point is, you may find it helpful to work with someone who can guide you in Plant communication; however, it is not a requirement, somewhere (possibly deep down), you already have this skill.

Of course, if you want to really deepen your relationship or learn specific ways to work with Plant Spirits for your own healing or healing others, then please join us for Brigid’s Way’s HEARTransformation Apprenticeship: Healing Through the Wisdom of Nature. Have your own Love affair with the Plants!

As I said earlier, Plants evolve as our consciousness increases. They want us to evolve, to embrace our full selves and they are here to help us along the way.

They have a short and important message for us today, “We Love you!”

And so, my Love affair continues.

The Stories We Tell

The Stories We Tell

"…we are the stories we tell ourselves. In this universe, and this existence, where we live with this duality of whether we exist or not and who are we, the stories we tell ourselves are the stories that define the potentialities of our existence. We are the stories we tell ourselves. So that’s as wide as we look at stories. A story is the relationship that you develop between who you are, or who you potentially are, and the infinite world, and that’s our mythology."
~ Shekhar Kapur

One of the great perks of my work is that I get to hear people’s stories. I am amazed that this continues outside of my office. Strangers will tell me their life story in the middle of a grocery store. People I barely know tell me their deepest secret (without prompting). I regularly hear, “I’ve never told anyone this!” What intrigues me is how those stories manifest in our lives, particularly our physical well-being.

One of the great limitations of allopathic medicine and symptoms approach treatment is that they miss the link of our stories. In these models, the physical is merely the physical; therefore, if we make the symptoms disappear, the physical is healed (despite any future symptoms). When we dare to look beyond these limitations, we see that what manifests as physical symptoms has been hanging around in our spiritual and emotional realms often for years, possibly even lifetimes.

For instance, sleep deprivation is currently an enormous issue in the US. There are many drugs on the market to help people sleep through the night. Anyone who has taken these or knows of people who’ve taken them, knows that they may help you get more sleep (though usually not deep, restful sleep); but they do not take care of the problem. I often have people come to me looking for the magic pill or potion. That’s not how I work. Sure I have numerous tools that can calm the nervous system and help one sleep deeply and sometimes we use these. However, my biggest tool is “Why?”

Sleep is a vital process for humans and it is also when we are most vulnerable. There are many reasons that contribute to sleepless nights: internal clock off due to working 3rd shift, wifi, electrical wires, consuming caffeine; body stressed, nervous system unable to calm down, anxiety; trauma from abusive parent, particularly alcoholic who came home from binges during the night; other traumas like house burning down, loved one dying in accident while you were sleeping, waking from a nightmare as child and not being comforted, sexual abuse; sensitives or clairvoyants seeing ghosts or other spirits in bedroom; the list can go on. The point is that if we want to clear the “problem” of not sleeping (or any other physical issue), we need to get to the root cause. Once that is identified, we can clear and heal it.

Of course, the issue is that often the root cause is subconscious, that’s where our stories come into play. They allow the practitioner to follow the threads, hear what is being said unconsciously and sometimes they require investigative work. My teacher, David Dalton, tells a story about a client who would wake up every night with an anxiety attack. She could not sleep with blankets on her and needed the air conditioning on even in the winter (and this is in New England). As they were working he discovered that there was some sort of trauma that occurred when she was a baby, of course, she didn’t have a cognitive memory of this. When she asked her family, she discovered that she was nearly smothered to death by people putting coats in her crib, not realizing that she was sleeping in it. Imagine that! Had she gone to an allopathic doctor, she would have been given any number of medications to help her sleep and reduce her anxiety, all of which have potential side-effects, including some severe ones. These pills would never have uncovered the subconscious trauma that was plaguing her. Fortunately, she was able to identify it and clear the energetic imprint of the trauma which allowed her to sleep naturally.

While I am intrigued by stories, I recognize that there is also a danger in them. Sometimes we want to be a character rather than the author: we want to be viewed as the victim or martyr, we think that the story is static and unchanging, we wear our wounds as our armor. I see this last example so often in “survivors”, for example a person who experienced cancer wraps her identity around being a cancer survivor. Don’t get me wrong, I understand that this is a powerful and life changing event. I think it is great to embrace the changes and lessons that cancer brings into one’s life and I think it is good to encourage others going through the challenges of cancer. However, when you are forever stamped as a “cancer survivor”, you are forever connected to and continue to feed the energy of cancer.

I heard Tom Kenyon share one of the best examples of a person being limited by her story. He tells of a client he was working with who was paralyzed from the waist down. After working with her for awhile, she was able to stand and take several steps. Suddenly she collapsed. He asked her what happened when she collapsed. She said that she realized if she was able to walk, she would take her mother’s identity away from her, for her mother was her caregiver. This woman made a conscious decision to stay paralyzed so that her mother could keep her identity, her story.

Please know that if you find yourself being stuck or limited by your story, I have no judgment about this, for I have definitely found myself in the same position. I think we have enough blame and self-deprecation in our world and this does not benefit anyone. What I am offering is an awareness and an invitation to chose differently, to become the author, to heal the wounds and shift the energy, and to respond to ourselves and one another with Love, compassion, and forgiveness.

I recently returned from Ecuador, where I took part in a healing ceremony with a Shaman. The message for all of us was, “We are holding on to too much, we need to release our wounds.” I knew that this was true. As a society, we tend to hold on to the wrongs, the pains. My teacher, Rocío Alarcón, calls them our most precious jewels. The truth is that holding on to these creates inflammation and stagnation in our bodies. Many of our dis-eases and illnesses are connected to inflammation. So here is another chance to release and heal.

I feel part of the purpose (and responsibilities) of human life is to learn our lessons, grow and heal. When we are working at a source level, we work outside of space and time (linear time is after all, a human construct). Which means, when we heal, we heal the past (including our past lives and ancestors) and the future (including the future generations).

When things are going “crazy” in our world or events are occurring that I don’t like, I bring this back to my self. I ask, “What can I do?”, “What is it in me that contributes to this?”, “What do I need to heal?”, “What are my prejudices?” See I know that I cannot change anyone else (try as I might), that is their choice. However, I can change myself - in fact, it is my responsibility to change. Racism will continue to exist in this world as long as I have prejudices. Misogyny will continue as long as I expect men to treat women poorly. Am I responsible for all the actions in this world? No. However, as long as these wounds and limiting beliefs exist in me, they have to exist in the world. If I want the world to be healed, I have to heal me.

Again, this does not come from a place of self-hatred or loathing or guilt. This comes from a place of empowerment. I know that I have the ability to change my story and by changing my story, I have the ability to affect my life, the lives of those around me, and my world.

I invite you to become the author of your ever-changing story and to create the most beautiful story and world that you can dream. Hold this vision tight, for in order to manifest it, we have to dream it and believe in it. I know that it is possible!

Change, Trust, Love

Change, Trust, Love

We are in the midst of major change as a new President of the United States takes office. Change is an interesting thing. We often say that we want it. We want a new job, a new car, or even a new partner. Sometimes we even dream of running away and leaving this life behind (and sometimes we do that). However, when the change is not something we are controlling, we tend to get frightened, we numb, we freeze, or we get angry. We do this even when we are getting what we wanted such as, we lose the job we’ve been wanting to leave. Here’s the thing, life is change. Change is the essence of life. When we breathe we are exchanging oxygen for carbon dioxide. We continuously bring in nutrients, change them, and excrete waste. If we stop these exchanges, we stress our bodies, until the point of death. Though, even death is change in action.

As Michael J. Roads writes, “One factor is very clear and constant; we live on a planet of perpetual change. As immortal, metaphysical Beings, we deliberately incarnate into mortal physical bodies for the very factor of conscious, spiritual growth. We cannot change and remain the same, obviously! The fact that we physically incarnate onto a planet of powerful Change, aware that all Nature is ever-changing, and yet remain so resistant to change in our personal lives is surely the greatest paradox of humanity.” (from Through the Eyes of Love: Book Three)

If change is constant, perpetual, and necessary than the challenge for us is how we meet change. When we resist change, we crystallize energy which blocks the flow in our bodies and our outer worlds. This blockage creates stagnation. What happens when there is a block? Think of a dam. The water builds up behind it, as the water builds up, the pressure builds up. If there is not a way for the pressure to be released (or the energy captured), the pressure will eventually get so great that it bursts through the dam creating enormous havoc. The same is true when we become resistant and crystallize. Change MUST occur. If we do not allow change, the energy builds up until chaos reigns. Sometimes we refer to this as the energetic 2x4 to the head.

Besides chaos, resisting change also prevents us from our soul growth. My mantra lately has been “Change and Trust. Change and Trust.” This is for good reason. When we are willing to change and be flexible even in small ways, we are trusting. Resisting change is acting in fear or not trusting. What I have come to learn (and continue to remind myself) is that the more I trust: the closer I am to my Soul path, the more the world opens to me, the more synchronicity and magic I experience.

As much as part of me wants to go back to bed and hide under the covers or stomp my feet on the ground and say, “NO! NO!! NO!!!!”, I know that this is my challenge, our challenge, to rise up, trust, and change. Does that mean that we shall change to be hateful people? No, that’s the unseen and pervasive part of my mantra, Love.

Our ultimate challenge in this life is to Love; to be Love; to meet every moment, every Being, every problem with Love; to choose Love. As Jonathan Goldman writes, “When you step across the boundary of consciousness as you leave your body, there is only one criterion for how you did in this lifetime, one lens of evaluation: How much love did you receive and pass on? Regardless of whatever words you used, whatever you did with your time and will on earth, whatever you manifested on the material level, all that matters is how you served the great plan to put love in the driver’s seat.” (from Gift of the Body)

So you see it is easy, meet change with grace and Trust and choose Love as our guiding force. I know I can hear the reactions, “Oh, yeah so easy!” It is. Love is easy. Growth is easy. It is our human conditioning that makes it difficult. We buy into the illusion that anything worthwhile must be difficult and so we make it so. (Trust me, I’m fully aware of this, I have consciously chosen the more difficult path time and time again in my life.) In Truth, we can just as easily choose to learn our lessons with ease.

Think of Water. Water follows the path of least resistance and does what Water needs to do, bringing Life and change wherever ki goes. We are Water. We too can follow that path. And when we forget, lose our way, or feel overwhelmed, the Plants and other guides are there to help us.

Just remember, when in doubt:

CHOOSE LOVE!

________

The image is a detail of a Healing Landscape created for the Inauguration, sending my prayers out for Love and Compassion to be our center as we create a better world.

Further Reflections on Standing Rock

In November, my son and I travelled to North Dakota to support the Water Protectors of Standing Rock. I was going there to support the Medic + Healers at the Oceti Sakowin camp and my son to help build. Before leaving, I was reluctantly interviewed and one of the questions was, “What expectations do you have?” My response was “None. Well, I expect we won’t want to leave.” I was right, we didn’t want to leave. And there is no way that I could’ve expected what I experienced. I wrote in another blog about my experience of Beauty and community. All of this is true and these experiences have continued to feed my Heart and add more fuel to my long-held vision of a more loving world. I believe that it is these experiences that have enabled my deeper, unravelling experiences from Standing Rock. It has taken me some time to be able to share these and to be completely honest, I continue to be in the midst of working through them.

We were encouraged to attend at least 1 morning meeting at Oceti Sakowin. The day that I went, my Heart was filled by the prayers and being reminded of the 7 Lakota Values (Prayer, Respect, Compassion, Honesty, Generosity, Humility, Wisdom). We then moved to another building for the orientation portion. It was here that my world came tumbling down. During one of the announcements, we were reminded that our country was founded as a white supremacist patriarchal society. My first instinct, was “No way!” I grew up not far from Philadelphia and regularly visited the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. I know that our founding fathers were not perfect, but come on! A split second later, it happened. “Oh my gosh! It was! I live in a white supremacist, patriarchal country!”

Suddenly I started seeing things in a completely different manner. To add to this, I witnessed racism like I’ve never seen before. Here, in North Dakota, it was expected and considered normal. I don’t know how to put this in words. The energy from this was thick, grey, gross, and suffocating. Despite dealing with racism every day, the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota continued.

I grew up reading history books about the genocide of Native Americans. I remember being appalled to learn of the Trail of Tears or the Land grabs or the small pox blankets. I always thought that if I was alive then, I would do what I could to stop this.

So here I was, standing in a camp of Beauty surrounded by thousands of Native Americans from hundreds of Nations all whose very existence is a sign of resistance. For they and their Ancestors survived having their Land, children, religion, language, and food taken from them. They have survived biological and chemical warfare. And they continue to deal with significantly higher than average poverty, incarceration, violence, rape, drug and alcohol abuse along with a significantly lower availability of health care. A brief stroll through statistics is heartbreaking. I discovered another lie, the genocide has not stopped. It has been ongoing since the first white settlers arrived, though the form changes. And these survivors greeted me with open arms saying, “Welcome Home!”

I came home from Standing Rock with a giant mix of emotions. (I think it was also significant that we left for Standing Rock on the day that Donald Trump became the President elect.) I was overwhelmed by the Beauty and community that I witnessed. While feeling like my world was unraveling and my frames of perception were ripped off. I was open and raw and lost. And I didn’t want to change this. I wanted to continue through it. For too long, I was living with false perceptions and understanding. Don’t get me wrong, I knew racism existed and witnessed it and tried to change it. But the fact that I could be 40 years old and be surprised that our country was founded on white supremacy, showed me just how big my white privilege was.

So I unraveled. On the physical level, this lead to an illness with fevers and loss of consciousness that left me bedridden for about a week. As I recovered physically, I continued to process. When I discovered that Donald Trump was elected, my response was to Love more, to be even more gentle and kind, to be even more dedicated to healing. Now, a new layer began. I started to feel the wounds we have been carrying for generations, including the wounds of the Holocaust. We carry so much from our past and until we heal these, we continue to be effected, all of us. I allowed these to move through me as I focused on transmuting them with Love.

As always, I called to the Plants and my other helping guides to help me be a vessel of transmutation and to help my body adjust to these new perspectives. I continue to ask for help and guidance from the Plants while I continue to unravel and find my Truth.

We live in this incredible time. I keep feeling like I have stepped into one of my history books. The truth is we are living herstory. We have the opportunity to heal the wounds of our past - remembering that both oppressors and oppressed were harmed - and we have the power to shift our paradigm to benefit the future.

One of my great lessons from Standing Rock is that together we are strong. I share my experiences in the hopes that together we can remove the facades and allow our healing. Together we can shift this white supremacist, patriarchal paradigm in which we live to one that is inclusive, celebrates diversity, and is based on Love.

Reflections on Standing Rock

My son and I have recently returned from supporting the Water Protectors at Standing Rock in North Dakota. Many people have asked me to share our experience. It is difficult to put into words the many feelings, observations, and experiences. In truth, we are both still processing and I imagine will be for some time. My immediate impression and the one that stays with me is that this is a place of Beauty and generosity.

Before I share more, I feel the need to explain that I am simply sharing my viewpoint from my very limited time there. There is no way that I could ever speak for the Lakota/Nakota/Dakota people. We were only at the Oceti Sakowin Camp for 6 days. I was there to support the Medic + Healer Council and my son was building and helping the camp prepare for winter.

When you enter camp, you are greeted by a combination security/welcoming party. They ask questions, wanting to be sure that you are there to help. They also stress the absolute rule that no weapons, alcohol, or drugs are allowed in the camp (or in a person in the camp). And then they want to help orient you to where you need to go. They call you sister. They say, “Welcome! Thank you for being here.” They say, “Welcome Home!”

I need to back up a bit. This was my first time in North Dakota. The main highway (1806) to the camp from Bismarck is closed just north of the camp. There is an alternate route, that is longer. On our day of arrival, there were actions on this alternate route and that road was also closed. We were re-routed by a nice officer down other “routes” which were actually dirt roads. The landscape here is stark with very few Trees. At this time of year, almost everything is brown. It is mostly flat, so you can see for miles. And the sky is immense! It is also very windy, dusty, and cold (though in reality the temperature was significantly higher than normal). This area has an intense Beauty that pulls at the inner artist, yet you know there is no way this can be captured.

As you approach the camp there is a sign that asks you to “Please drive prayerfully”. So the mindset and the realization that you are at work with the Sacred occurs long before you reach the welcoming party. You drive by the camp before you can enter. From the road, you can see hundreds, probably thousands of flags and signs from around the world supporting the Water Protectors. And you begin to take in the immenseness of this place and this moment.

As I was there to help the Medic + Healer Council and was only there for a short time, I focused on doing as much as I could. Therefore, I did not get to participate in any of the ceremonies. However, prayer was everywhere. I knew before I arrived that I should bring a skirt to wear in ceremony. Once there, I learned that ceremony is every moment, so please wear the skirt at all times. While I worked, I could often hear prayers and medicine songs over the PA speaker.

The Medic and Herbal tents were moving into beautiful, warm gers while I was there. My first night, I helped the medics sort through their inventory. There were huge piles which took many days to go through. My last 2 days at camp, I sorted through donations of herbal medicines and put them where they lived. This was overwhelming and I was brought to tears often (from the generosity). The amount of support is greater than I could ever imagine. I have never seen so many herbs in one place. Everything was overflowing. A truck would pull up and more boxes would be delivered. There were times that I wanted to say, “No more!” And then I had to stop and remind myself what this was. Yes, these were herbs. More than that, they were support, they were Love, they were prayers from around the country! Of course, the tears would start flowing again. It is difficult to witness/receive this enormous amount of generosity and it is also very beautiful. Every once in awhile, I would step outside to get a breath or do something and I would see truck loads of firewood being delivered or truckloads of building supplies that someone donated. Every day there are hundreds of people arriving to show their support, most with a car load of donations. Take a walk around camp and you see food, clothes, solar panels, you name it, all donated! And with each donation, there is another wave of energy that helps to fuel the Protectors.

I was reminded several times that this is a resistance camp. That was a good reminder, because from where I stood it looked like a utopia. People are kind to one another. Generosity flows everywhere. People, regardless of their training and expertise, are willing to help do anything including picking up trash and doing dishes, for in reality most of the work here is very unglamorous. There is a recognition and understanding that we are all related and we are asked to leave our egos outside of camp. Humility is one of the guiding rules. (We were asked to follow the Seven Lakota Values.) And synchronicity was abundant. I am used to things appearing at the right time, but I have never seen anything like what I witnessed at Oceti Sakowin. You ask for something, turn around and a stranger unknowingly hands you a donation of exactly what you wanted. And this wasn’t just my experience. It was a common experience. On top of all of this, I got to witness the medics, herbalists, midwives, body workers, and mental health professionals working together and supporting one another! This is something that for ages I knew we could do and it was happening right in front of my eyes. I saw medics do what they could for someone and then suggest that they go next door to the herbalists. And similar actions from everyone there. It was understood that by sharing experiences and modalities people could get a more complete healing.

Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t perfection. There are thousands of people at camp from such varied backgrounds and many have serious wounds/traumas that they bring with them, including the generational trauma of the Indigenous who have been suppressed and abused for hundreds of years. We all were/are learning how to live with one another in community, how to support each other, how to heal one another, and how to heal ourselves. All while joining together to protect the Water and honor the Sacred. And of course, many of the traumas are triggered and created by the abusive behavior of the Police and DAPL security. (Note: while we were there, the actions were fairly calm. This was before the horrible attacks on November 20th.)

Still from where I was, this is a beautiful community of Love. And that is a scary thing to those who are “in charge”. For you cannot control people who know their worth and who are in touch with their power. This is why people who are armed with smudge sticks and prayers are said to be violent. This was my first time experiencing aggression and hatred like this and it has me reeling. Which also has me coming to terms with my “White Privilege”, for I realize that for many people in this camp this is not a new situation.

On our way home, I tried to put my address into the GPS, though it wouldn’t recognize it. I could not remember what my house number was. I eventually asked my son. I told him I thought our number was 1806. He just looked at me because that is the road that Oceti Sakowin camp is on and I realized that our greeter was right, I did go Home. My Heart and prayers continue to be with the Water Protectors. I am incredibly grateful for those who stand up for the Waters and the Land. I am grateful for the lessons I have learned and continue to learn. I am grateful for the “law enforcement”, Energy Transfer Partners, and the others who have lead to this time where our shadows are brought into the daylight and we can begin to “come correct” and for the great opportunity to practice forgiveness. I am grateful for the reminder that at the Heart we are beautiful people with an enormous capacity to Love.

Mni Wiconi!

Motherwort Part 2: Balancing the Masculine and Feminine

I wrote about Motherwort several months ago. Motherwort is one of the Plants that I have been working/playing with for my Plant Spirit Healing Apprenticeship. The more time I share with her, the deeper our relationship grows, and the more I learn. I have always thought that she is a wonderful and rich plant with so many uses. I mentioned earlier that I use the Flower Essence to help with boundaries, to express things that need to be said, to help with Anxiety and bring one back to the center, and to help discern what the real issues are.

Motherwort is a Heart protector. She also helps women going through menopause/peri-menopause, among many other gifts.

What she recently taught me is that she is a great balancer. Motherwort is particularly helpful to balance Masculine/Feminine. So for women (and men) whose feminine/nurturing sides are too strong, she can help you stand up for yourself and be strong. For men (and women) whose masculine sides are too strong, she can help you soften and be more nurturing. (I should mention that since Motherwort is an excellent Heart Plant, she helps to bring this balance with Heart energy.) To me, this is her most important gift and why I believe she is so important now.

We all know that our world is changing and our world needs to change. One of the major areas of change is to bring more feminine energy into our society. I’m not saying that women are better than men. But, for too long, we have lived in a male-dominated warring, destructive, constrictive society, which has not served anyone: not Nature, not women, not children, and definitely not men.

It is time that the patriarchal paradigm shifts and we bring the Feminine energy, so that there is balance. I believe that Motherwort can help us do this.

You might ask, How? Well, first of all, for those of you who have space, Plant her. Now, know that she is generous in all aspects, so she does spread. If you can, sit with her, spend time with her, dream with her, love her. Get to know her. If you are feeling out of balance, call on her. She recommended that I infuse Honey with her. Motherwort is bitter; therefore, the sweetness of the honey will help to add to her balancing effect. Yes, you can take her Flower Essence, tincture, and tea. Of course, while you spend time with her, recognize the areas of your life that need balancing.

Fear

I always think that whatever season I am in, that is my favorite season. However, not only is it summer, but it’s also berry season! This has to my favorite. I love spending my mornings harvesting wild berries for my family’s breakfast. We get delicious berries and I learn a lot from the berry bushes. Regardless of what life is serving up for you, you can always return to Nature to be reminded of Beauty and the pleasures of life. I hope that you are able to find some berries (or other edibles) and taste the Wild. Eating wild food nourishes our bodies AND our souls. Wild foods remind us of our innate connection to Nature, which as a society we have cut or ignored, but that is only a facade, for we can never really sever this connection.

I tend to think of events in my life as having themes. My most current theme is overcoming fear. I thought it was serendipitous that my family and I recently watched Defending Your Life (which I highly recommend). The basic plot is that after we die, our lives are reviewed. If we have overcome fear (the purpose of life according to the movie), then we are allowed to move on. If not, then we are sent back to Earth to try again.

When we allow fear to dictate our lives, we limit ourselves from truly experiencing life and from being our whole selves. Sure there are people who are so filled with fear that they can’t leave the house. It’s easy to see how their fears limit them. It’s not as easy to see it when we have a fear of heights or success or Love or people who are different than us, etc. Well, maybe when you know someone else has these fears, you can see how their fear cripples them. Can we see how our own fears keep us from living our full lives?

Every time that I have faced one of my fears, I discovered that it was not actually true. It was just an illusion to keep me in some small box. When I released it, I was suddenly able to enjoy more of life and breathe freer. I wrote last month about facing my fear of heights and being rewarded by an amazing, breathtaking view. Facing our fears does not always have such immediate rewards. Sometimes, it can be really scary and difficult; but, (and this is a big BUT) anytime we face our demons, we automatically win. When we face our fears, we are standing up for ourselves, we are fighting for a richer and more fulfilling life.

Don’t get me wrong, I do think that fear has a place. For instance, if I’m in the woods, and the hair on the back of my neck stands up, I want to pay attention to this. But, most of us live our lives in fear and it is this fear that prevents us from living our true lives and being our whole selves. Besides limiting ourselves, our fears can make us sick. Plus, we unconsciously project these fears, so often we begin to attract that which we fear the most. What to change this?

With the amount of fear in our society (have you watched the evening news lately?), it is no wonder that there is a long list of Flower Essences to help with fear. Overcoming fear was a focus of Dr. Bach. Now, there are many, many essences that help to overcome specific fears, non-specific fears, and to strengthen and build confidence.

I find it interesting to note that the organ most associated with fear is the liver. Anyone who pays attention to all the chemicals that we are inundated with can understand that our livers our taxed and need much healing and support. So it really isn’t a surprise that there is such rampant fear in our society.

As we have just celebrated Summer Solstice, this is the time of year to absorb the Light and to release what no longer serves you. What do you fear? What are your fears keeping you from experiencing? Are you ready to release any fears? I hope so! Live life to your fullest potential!

Here is a small list of Flower Essences that help with fear:
Bach’s Rescue Remedy- great for support during the moment of fear or anxiety
Quaking Aspen- fearful and unsure why, courage
Mimulus- known fears (ie spiders, dogs, losing job, etc.)
Jewelweed- fear of intimacy, fear of being touched
Rusty Sunflower- Fear of change
Lobelia- Ability to speak truth without fear
Borage- Courage
Red Cedar- Courage, strength, wisdom, great support

Again, this is just a small sampling of the many different Flower Essences that can help with fear. Their description is a brief snippet, it does not even come close to describing their depth or the many ways in which each Essence works.

The point is that we do not need to allow our fears to limit us nor do we need to face our fears alone, the Plants are ready to support us.

Gardening as a Contract with Nature

I do not claim to be an excellent gardener. Never have. In fact, in the past, I was so unwilling to kill any Plant that I wouldn’t “weed” and my vegetable garden would soon consist of more weeds than vegetables. After losing my herb garden and restarting last year, I realized that I needed to make a change. So I did what I do and I asked the Plants for assistance. I talked about my realization of “de-planting” in the last newsletter, so I won’t go into detail here.

Since writing about it and as I prepare for garden days here, I have been trying to pay attention to how I work with the Plants.

First, I notice a huge difference in the Plants in my herb garden. I’ve been telling everyone that it is like they are on steroids. People nod and say yes this crazy weather, with the heat and abundance of rain, has been great for Plants. But that’s not it. If you look at the Plants in my herb garden and compare them to any other Plants, there is a difference. They are larger, stronger, and have many more blooms. You can (or at least I can) notice the difference in quality. I have a hypothesis which I’ll share later.

Why weed or de-plant? Well, as I said earlier, when I didn’t de-plant my gardens, the garden Plants struggled. I questioned myself, why are the Plants that I planted more important than the wild ones? They aren’t. However, when creating a garden, a human creates a contract with nature. The garden is under the human’s care. So it is my responsibility to provide the healthiest environment for the garden Plants. This is why I invite the wild Plants to grow in our field.

That being said, it is important to know (and this is contrary to what most gardeners will tell you) that the wild Plants are also important to the garden. These wild Plants do provide something. Perhaps they are using their tap roots to bring needed minerals. Perhaps they are providing protection (which is what Ragweed did for my garden last year). If you look at Nature, Plants do not like to grow alone with a lot of space between them (well, most Plants). And so our garden Plants, also need others nearby. Some gardeners do this with companion planting. I think this is helpful. I also think it is best if we can pay attention to the wild Plants (and the garden Plants) and see what is best for the garden.

This spring, Lamium purpureum or Purple Deadnettle came to my garden. I always admire this plant growing in the fields every spring. However, when I encountered ki growing (quite generously) in my herb garden, fear set in. I thought, I have to take care of this now or ki could take over my whole herb garden. (Most of the Plants were either still asleep or were just beginning to come out of the ground.) When I could step back, I realized that I like Lamium growing there, the purple and green were beautiful and Heart lifting. So I asked the garden and Lamium what I should do. The response was “Nothing,” I needed to let the Lamium continue to grow. So I did. As I sat with ki and watched, the feeling that I got was that the Lamium was fixating energy into the garden similar to clover fixating nitrogen. Ki was raising the healing vibration of the garden. In time, the job was done and Lamium told me to remove ki, which I did. Now, my hypothesis, is that it is to Lamium purpureum that my garden (and I) owe the incredible growth, strength, and energy that is now present.

My point is that there is a time to de-plant and there is a time to let the Plants do their work. A good “gardener” accepts this and knows which time it is. To my knowledge, the only way to know when to do these is by paying attention to the Plants and letting them guide your work.

If you are interested in trying this, I encourage you to spend quiet time in your garden. Focus on sharing the space with all the Plants. Allow your breathing to unite with the Plants’ breathing. When you are ready, ask which Plant or Plants need to be removed. Open your eyes and see if any catch your attention. I try to focus on removing one or two Plants at a time. For instance, I am working with Ragweed right now. So I am removing all the Ragweed and only Ragweed . Then, next time I might work with Morning Glory and only remove Morning Glory. If one catches your attention, then go to that Plant (its okay if you don’t know what ki is, I encourage you to learn. Tell the Plant that this garden is for the Plants that you plant and invite. Thank ki for helping in the garden and invite ki to grow somewhere else (for me, we have a huge field where I invite them to grow). Ask the Plant if there is anything that you need to do for ki or the garden. Every time you pull a Plant, thank the Plant. If you can, eat or make medicine with the Plants you are “harvesting”. If not, then compost them and return them to the earth.

Be willing to allow the “weeds” to grow. Watch your garden and see how the energy shifts.

Of Dandelion and Fear

I went for a walk in the field one morning. I stopped and looked around me, the field was filled with Dandelions. As I admired their beauty, I was flooded with memories. Some were as a child and how my friends and I adored Dandelions. We would delight in them and play games with them. Yes, we would say, “Momma had a baby and her head popped off” and pop the heads off of the Dandelions. But, I really don’t think they cared. I think they were happy that we children loved them and played with them. We would make Dandelion crowns and rub our bodies with the blossoms to turn our skin yellow. Of course, our favorite was blowing the seed heads. Then, another memory came, this was as an adult. My sons and I were going on a walk with our neighbor and her son. Right away, she commented that my yard was full of Dandelions. My immediate reaction was to respond by saying, “I know, isn’t it beautiful?” Then I realized that this was not meant as a compliment, but a complaint. I was surprised because her garden beds and walkway were filled with “weeds” and her very large yard contained materials from the many unfinished projects that her husband started: piles of sand, bags of cement, wood scraps, slate tiles, etc. As I looked back on this day, I again was surprised and was curious why she had such a strong reaction to the Dandelions.

This then led to all the other conversations that I’ve had with people who wanted to spray their lawns with poisons to eradicate the Dandelion. I again got curious. I find it so interesting that this incredibly healing Plant brings so much fear and hatred out in people. Don’t get me wrong, I know that many people love Dandelion. That is why she grows in the US. The story that I have been told is that the Italians brought her here with them because they couldn’t imagine living without her. She has sustained many during the late winter/early spring starvation time before grocery stores.

So why, is our culture anti-Dandelion? Why is it that we need to eradicate something that brings beauty to the monotony of the green lawn? I realize that part of this is the fear that if you let one Dandelion, there will be many, for her seeds are prolific. This thought brings me to another question, when we have fear, why is our response to wipe out, eradicate, do harm, fight back? Why not simply step away from the fear and really look at the issue? Is the Dandelion truly something to be fearful about? What is the worst that will happen if Dandelion is allowed to grow in our yards? What can be gained or what gifts are there by allowing Dandelion to grow?

Of course, this extends beyond Dandelion. Maybe this is a personal issue. I have been overcoming many fears this spring. I realized that we put too much energy into fear and potential worst case scenarios. So now, I am trying to look at the heart of fear. I encourage you to do this too. What are you afraid of? What keeps you from living the life that you want? What is your gut reaction when faced with fear? Mine tends to be to hide. Though, culturally I believe we tend to eradicate, bring down the enemy. Just imagine what things could be like if we could react with the Heart and Love instead. Would we have so many lives lost and forever changed by war? Would we be poisoning ourselves and the earth because of those pesky Dandelions?

Here’s a bit of a carrot on a string. I developed an enormous, paralyzing fear of heights when my oldest was about a year old. I have allowed this fear to dictate a good portion of my life and avoided many situations where I would have to face it. This winter, while we were planning our trip to Switzerland, we discovered Mt. Titlis (I know, horrible name! I turn into a teenage boy every time.) The mountain is over 10,000 feet high and you can see the Alps and valleys from there. It seemed like an unbelievably gorgeous place. The catch? I would have to ride on 3 gondolas for a total of 40 minutes. I rode on my first ski lift just last year, which was not very high off the ground. Simply looking at the pictures of the gondolas was turning my stomach. However, I decided that I would do this. For months, I worked with Flower Essences and journeying to overcome this fear. Finally, in May, I did it! We went up with dear friends of ours. The first part was a little frightening because I was facing the valley that was quickly becoming farther away. Rescue Remedy was a huge help. After that, I was able to enjoy it. What was even better was the view that I was rewarded with at the top.

I encourage you to face your fears and let go of what is holding you back! If you get frightened, (first of all, know that there is always help) remember the gentle, brave Dandelion poking her head through the overwhelming void of the macadam to bring Beauty, Light, Love and healing to our world.

Flower Essences to Navigate Anxiety, Stress and the Changes Ahead

We are living during a great time of change. I can feel the frenetic energy, which seems to have been building for quite some time. While change is ultimately beneficial, it often is accompanied by anxiety and stress. We know that anxiety and stress cause many health crises. How many books are written to help us reduce our stress and worries? How many talk shows are there? Yet, we continue to lead our fast paced lives.

As I mentioned in a previous newsletter, we need to make lifestyle changes. Fortunately, Flower Essences can help us make these changes. There are many Essences that can help with anxiety and stress; however, I think Blue Vervain, Eastern Hemlock, and Motherwort are particularly important for our changes ahead.

One note, these Essences are great for getting to the root of the stress and bringing sustaining relief and support for change. In an acute situation: an anxiety attack, an accident, a major injury, a stressful meeting, etc, I would (and do) use Bach’s Rescue Remedy. I carry this on me wherever I go and have a bottle in the car. I have seen it prevent people from going into shock after major injuries. Rescue Remedy comes in different forms, my preference is the spray as it is quick and easy to use.

Blue Vervain

Blue Vervain is my number one choice for a person suffering from anxiety. This essence is great for people who are doing too much, always on the go, always doing for everyone else, or who can’t sit still. Blue Vervain helps people who are “wound too tight”, who look like they are about to spring or burst.

We believe that Blue Vervain activates our Blue Channel. Simply put, we have the 7 major chakras. These are connected by a red channel and a blue channel. The red channel is moving upwards and helps to fire all the chakras, to get them moving faster. The blue channel is moving downwards and helps to calm the chakras. As you can imagine in our society, many people have very active red channels. Blue Vervain helps to calm this and bring the chakras into balance.

What I notice is that Blue Vervain is like a breath of fresh air. It gives a person the ability to take a pause and relax. During this time, she realizes how much better and more peaceful she feels; which then encourages her to make the lifestyle changes necessary to remain in this calmer place.

In general, I give an Essence to a person for a 3-5 week cycle, normally I feel that is enough time. Sometimes, we may revisit an Essence down the road. However, I often use Blue Vervain for several cycles. Rarely do I give Blue Vervain to a person for 1 cycle and not revisit ki. People often have very strong reactions to Blue Vervain. In this instance, strong is positive. They return feeling like a new person, or more appropriately, like their true selves. They feel stronger, happier, and calmer.

Eastern Hemlock

Eastern Hemlock is the Flower Essence to help with transition and change. Hemlock is the state tree of Pennsylvania. I first got to know him, when we built our straw-bale house. We chose to use him to enclose our foundation and as the ceiling in our bedrooms. Now, I live in a house made out of hemlock posts and beams. I love to look at him. He is so beautiful and strong. I constantly see figures and faces in his beams. While I love his wood, the tree is even more beautiful. He is slow growing and lives for a long time, up to 800 years! Imagine the wisdom contained in the Hemlock.

All Tree Essences have an affinity for the root chakra. They give support, strength, and protection. The Eastern Hemlock adds his wisdom to help us move through all forms of change. It can be a concrete change like switching a job. Or more abstract such as the planetary changes we are experiencing. Whatever the change, Eastern Hemlock can offer support.

Motherwort

Motherwort is an incredible herb. She is one of the first herbs that I started working with when I seriously began my herbal path. Even though I have been working with her for many years, I am constantly learning more of her gifts. She is amazing.

Motherwort’s form greatly describes her use to help with stress. For the non-herbie, she is a fairly non-descript, green plant. Her flowers form on tall spires. The flowers are small and pinkish-purplish. On close inspection they are amazingly beautiful. Motherwort’s signature is that she is gentle and soft until her flowers and seeds appear, then her spires become very spiky. She becomes the mother protecting her babies.

It is this edginess, this fierceness that makes her Flower Essence so wonderful. Motherwort Flower Essence helps us with our boundaries. Often when we are stressed, we are doing more than we want or should be doing. We are saying yes, when we don’t want to. What Motherwort does is helps us to strengthen our boundaries and learn that it is okay to say no. She helps us to fight for ourselves.

When we suffer from anxiety, often we feel disconnected, like we are all over the place. Motherwort helps to bring ourselves back together and gives us that strong protective place around us. I believe she gives us the ability to know what OUR problems and OUR requirements really are. Which helps one to feel centered.

As I said, there are many Essences that can help with stress and anxiety. These are the Essences that I think are helpful for the anxiety surrounding our planetary changes. Of course, if you have anxiety or want support to make lifestyle changes, I recommend meeting with a Flower Essence Practitioner or other healer.

Message from the Plants: De-planting

I have always had a hard time with “weeding.” I love Plants. I never wanted to kill a Plant (well, except for Morning Glory). Many of the “weeds” are Plants that I use medicinally or Plants that I suspected could be used medicinally. So for years, my gardens were overrun. Last year, I was gifted with a blank slate for a new garden. I was given a choice, I could continue as I did before and not weed or I could pull the unwanted plants. I contemplated this for awhile, until the plants gave me my answer. They taught me a new way and have asked me to share it. Originally we called this planting, now to not be confusing we call it “de-planting”.

I have an agreement with the plants that the garden will be for Plants that I put there or invite. If another Plant invites herself, I then explain the parameters of the garden and ask her to move to another place (I do have a large field surrounding my garden, with plenty of places for wild Plants.) That is the simple explanation.

What I actually do is get to know the volunteer. I ask her what she wants or needs and try to provide that for her. What happens is that I learn the personality of the Plants that surround me. I’ve also learned some new ways of using them. Most of the Plants that appear in the garden are there to help, so they tell me what I need for the garden. After I listen to them and make our agreement, I then pull them out. They often do not come back. Occasionally, I have had some return but usually it is because I wasn’t holding my end of the bargain and they were reminding me.

Through this process, I healed my relationship with Morning Glory. I learned that she likes to be sung to and told how pretty she is (which she is!). Now when I see her in the field, I stop and admire her. She helps me to be light and joyful. I enjoy this much more than wanting to kill her!!

This morning as I was in the garden seeing which Plants have begun to emerge, I saw a group of new volunteers. Now instead of dreading “weeding”, I am looking forward to getting to know some new Plants.

I hope that you find this helpful. If you try this, please let me know about your experiences!

Healing with the Land

On my walk this morning, I could hear, “We survived! We survived!” The Birds were singing, the Plants dancing. Everyone was excited to be waking from the slumber of winter. I was moved to see the Plants returning. As I was walking, I was brought back to the first time that I walked this Land and how it has changed.

After many years of searching for land, we finally agreed to see this property. It had been on the market for over a year. Every time that I saw the listing in the paper, I said that I wanted to see it and then we would remind ourselves of where it was. It was a cornfield. We were opposed to taking farmland out of production. We wanted wooded land. We wanted land that we could help heal. Suddenly we awoke from our slumber and realized that the land that needed healing was the farmland around us. This land has been and is being poisoned and planted with more poisons (GMO corn and soybeans). We finally agreed to see it. As soon as we stepped on the property, everyone said “This is it!” We knew!

What did it look like then, just bare soil with remains of cornstalks. Though we did find a turtle and several frogs. We bought the farm in October 2003, shortly after a crop of soybeans was harvested. The field pretty much was barren earth surrounded on three sides with thin woods. The only Plants that we found growing were Jimson Weed, which is an imposing and poisonous, though medicinal plant. We had a farmer plant hay in the field. The following Spring, Burdock, Thistles, Yellow Dock, and Amaranth were among the plants to join us. These plants have good protective armor with thorns and spikes. They also have deep tap roots that help to bring minerals into the upper soil and I think help to clean the land of toxins. After a year of pleading, Plantain moved in! She has been here ever since and is now quite prolific.

Since that time, more and more Plants have come to live here. I love to see the progression. When we first moved here, there was a tiny patch of Violets in the woods. I considered that my special place and would often go to spend time with them. Now, they are throughout the field. It still surprises me when I see them.

As I was walking today, I discovered that several Trees are beginning to grow in an area of our field that we have not been mowing. This is exciting! I wanted a good portion of our Land to grow and change on her own. However, that is difficult to handle when you are taught that land needs to be manicured and a person’s character can be judged by how well maintained their yard is. And so, this was always a bone of contention with my family and neighbors. Fortunately, as Ani Difranco says, “Nature always gets her way!”

One of my favorite areas of this Land is an area that we agreed from the beginning to leave alone. It is a Faerieland. When I was there today, my Heart was bursting with Love and gratitude. We now have Trees whose trunks are 6” in diameter! These trees were not there when we moved here and we did not plant them, yet they are tall and strong and gorgeous.

I am so grateful to live on this Land. I now realize that it was incredibly arrogant of me to think that I was going to heal the Land; instead, the Land is healing me or maybe we are healing one another. I realize that not everyone can (or wants to) live on a farm; however, I think everyone needs a special spot where s/he can watch Nature unfold and change. This can be your backyard, a park, a sidewalk. Nature is everywhere.

I love this time of year: the new beginnings and unbridled energy full of joy and sensuality. I hope that you enjoy the re-awakening and re-emerging into the Light.

Healing the Culture of Pain

I have spent a good portion of this year reflecting on pain and pain medication.  In one of my classes this summer, David Dalton shared his observations of working with people in pain.  He said that whenever a person tries to suppress the pain with pain medication, the level of pain will rise to surpass the medication.  For those of us, who know people with chronic pain, we can see the profound simplicity in this statement.  How many times does someone get a cortisone shot and feel really good for awhile and then the pain is greater, long before the shot is supposed to wear off?  Or how many people are constantly increasing their medications or switching to stronger ones because the medicine is just not doing the job anymore? Of course this is what happens.  Why?  Because the physical pain is a symptom of a larger issue.  So suppressing the symptom, does not heal the situation.  In fact, it exacerbates it.  Our subconscious will not let this continue and so it will increase the physical pain, until the underlying issue is healed.  Many allopathic doctors, as well as, our pharmaceutical industry, do not recognize that the pain is a symptom.  They simply try to eliminate it.  Which then starts the cycle of increasing pain, increasing medication.

And so where does this never-ending cycle lead us?  In my case, it has left me heart-broken and brother-less.  My brother had a very large, sensitive heart.  He felt everyone’s pain and internalized it as his own.  Early on in his life, he learned that he could self-medicate the pain through alcohol and drugs.  (In my opinion, addiction is based on the desire to escape pain, trauma, etc.)  This past year, my brother had an operation and another instance where there was considerable physical pain.  The doctors prescribed him oxycodone both times.  He quickly became “addicted” to oxycodone and fatally combined it with alcohol.  (I use the quotes, because his doctor told him that he was not really addicted.)

For those of you who don’t know what oxycodone (aka OxyContin) is, it is an opiate or narcotic that is prescribed for pain.  It is extremely addictive.  It has also been a presence in the news lately because of the amount of deaths among those who use it.  Yet the use of this drug has drastically increased, Americans consuming the majority of it.  Why?  Well, clearly we are a culture in pain.  As you can tell, I have a very personal reason for wanting to stop this cycle and I now feel its time to share my desire.

Why are we a culture of pain?  Well, I’m sure we can discuss this for ages and like everything there are many reasons.  Though I think one of the biggest is that we are not living the lives that we want.  I feel as a nation, we are disconnected from Nature and our true, Wild Selves.  We have gone too far from ourselves, yet there is still that shining Light in us that is trying to call us Home.

(I would like to digress for a minute.  I feel pulled to say that I recognize that pain can occur for a simple reason, we stubbed our toe or had a surgery, etc.  While part of me wants to acknowledge that, a bigger part of me is questioning if that is where the pain stops.  I admit the pain is created by the stubbed toe or the surgery, but is that the original source?  I know for myself, that when I have stubbed my toe before, I was not being mindful and paying attention to my surroundings.  So I’m not completely, ready to discount the acute pain as not having a deeper connection to our subconscious.  Though, in general I’m talking about chronic pain.)

So what can we do for pain?  I think the very first step is to acknowledge it and try to get to the root of the problem.  This often takes time and help from others.  A good place to start is by journalling and paying attention to our dreams (Ah, this is what this season is about?!).  Of course, working with a good therapist is wonderful also.  (I stress good, because the wrong therapist can be detrimental to our healing.  Trust your instincts.)  Spend plenty of time in nature.  Plants have a way of bringing us back into balance.  Plus, they help us remember our Wild Selves and guide us on our path.  Breathe, deep, full breaths.  Oxygen affects our pain threshold.  Nourish yourself (physically, emotionally, and spiritually).  I, of course, recommend seeing a Flower Essence practitioner.  Flower Essences can be a valuable tool at this time.  They can serve multiple purposes.  Depending on what is chosen, they can help to strengthen the person, help bring to the surface the underlying issue, help us see through the problem, help us clear the problem (particularly if it is trauma) from our system, help us to re-create ourselves, and more.  Many of us have seen David Dalton’s Teasel set be helpful for those in pain.  This is the basis of what I use for Lyme.  However, we are constantly finding more uses for it.  My intuition tells me that the Teasel is not suppressing the pain like medications do, but helps to release it from our system, often makes it easier for us to understand the underlying issue, helps us clear it from our bodies, and I think it also reminds our cells of health, helping them to return to their natural-state.

These suggestions do not mean that you will never experience pain.  Quite the opposite.  Pain is an inevitable part of life.  But just like joy, we need to really feel pain and acknowledge it for what it is or what it is showing us.  The pain of losing a brother (or other loved one) is incredible.  Yet, it shows the depth of Love that is there.  I would not trade the Love to avoid the anguish and so I will embrace it and honor it.  While I can no longer guide my brother through his pain, I sincerely hope that I can help others.

Experience the Dark: Quietly and Slowly

We are beginning our journey out of the dark and into the light as our days are getting longer.  This begins our time of rest and reflection.  Our dreaming selves are re-ignited.  Let’s listen to the cues from Nature and hibernate.  Our hibernation may look different, but it will serve the same purpose, to nurture ourselves and help us prepare for the year ahead.  We can move slow, sleep lots, eat deeply nourishing (physically, spiritually, and emotionally) foods, spend good quality time with our friends and families, keep our bodies warm and cozy, and really dream ourselves a new year and a new paradigm. This is the time of year that I work really hard to put the brakes on and not overdo it.  Though, often it feels like no matter how hard I pull on that brake, I am still skidding along.  I do find it helpful to remind myself (almost constantly), what this season would/could/should be without the commercialization.  I know that we can each have our own vision of this.  For me, it really is a sacred time.  It’s a time of quiet and reverence.  It is a magical, mystery ride.  Where we feel the darkness.  It is absorbed in our cells.  It is close to consuming us.  Yet, we know that the light is returning.  Soon.

While it can be overwhelming to be in this darkness, we know that we are only here for a short time.  If we didn’t experience this, the light would have little meaning to us.  It is through this dark, that our growth occurs.  Yes, like Plants, we need light to grow.  However, also like the seeds and the roots of Plants, our growth begins in the dark.

Quiet!

I have been thinking a lot about quiet lately (maybe that’s because I have 2 boys in my house).  Last year, I did a solitary retreat to Pendle Hill, a Quaker retreat center near Philadelphia.  While there, I was reminded that we each have a different opinion of what quiet is.  Most of the people there were from cities.  So to them it was a very quiet place.  To me, the traffic was so loud.  No matter where you live, we all need quiet, yet it is very hard to find.  We have planes that fly over head, tractors in neighboring fields, and what I consider to be the worst, the electrical humming of the machines in our house (refrigerator, heating system, etc.).  Recently I renewed a practice that I started when my kids were small of driving without the radio.  I started this again so that when I drive Liam to school in the morning, he has time to process his dreams and can start the day with his own song, not someone else’s electronic song.  (Don’t get me wrong, I love music, but we all know what it is like to have a song stuck in your head.)  Long after I would drop him off, I would discover that I did not turn on the radio.  I also realized that I too was able to process my dreams and thoughts better without the background noise.

We all need quiet so that we can hear our intuitions and dreams.  Yes, sometimes, when we ignore these voices, they will get louder, until we can hear them.  (As in the the person with Lyme whose intuition was trying to tell them to slow down, rest, not do so much.)  One of the recommendations for ear (and kidney) ailments is to observe silence.  Since this is the season of quiet, I suggest we all strive to find a quiet place.

Slow

I have been thinking lately about the speed in which we move.  The message that I am receiving over and over (I’m guessing many of you have also received, if not you are now!) is to slow down.

Again, this is the time of year where we turn inward.  So this is a great time to start slowing.

I know our time on this earth is relatively short and that our society tells us that we should do more and faster.  However, I think that we would be happier and healthier if we could slow down, move at our natural pace, digest our thoughts and environment, focus on what we are doing at the time, enjoy our friends and family.

Looking at our society, I realize how unhealthy we are.  (Books can and have been written about this.)  I simply want to look at our pace.  Let’s delve just a little.  I was taught that the assembly line is one of the greatest “inventions”.  Why, because it allowed us to make things faster!  What it also did was locked people inside, where they worked in a very small area, doing repetitive motion every day.  (That’s not even mentioning the abuse and deaths that occurred due to poor factory conditions.)

What really got me thinking about this is the speed in which we drive.  I know that I am a culprit of this myself.  I witnessed someone pass 2 cars and a tractor on a blind hill, presumably so he could get to where he was going faster.  Ironically, we were all behind him at the next light.  He didn’t get there any faster, though he did risk several lives.

That made me think, why do we have to get there faster?  What if we just got there when we got there?  Would our lives be any less meaningful?  Why do we rush to get from point A to point B, couldn’t we slow down and enjoy the journey between those two points?  Maybe if we slow down, magic will happen.  At least I find that’s what occurs.

The other part of the issue for me is multi-tasking.  Again, multi-tasking is not only accepted now, but expected.  When we drive, we talk on the phone (hopefully, not text).  When we talk to our friends, we cook dinner.  The point of multi-tasking is to do several things as quickly as possible.  What ends up happening is that we are not able to focus on any of them and they all become a chore for us (well, hopefully not talking to your friends!).

What I recommend is that we focus on doing one thing at a time.  Not only do one thing at a time, but focus.  I (like my 94 year old grandma) wash my floors on my knees with a rag.  While I’m there, not only am I concentrating on getting the floor clean, but I also find myself going to that slow, quiet place.  In other words, I find myself meditating and digesting my recent thoughts and experiences.  So when I walk away, I have a clean floor, new insights, and a feeling of peace.  When did we ever feel this as we barrel down the highway talking to our friends, dodging the other drivers who are on their cell phones?

Let’s enjoy the journey and take the time to notice the many gifts along the way.  Digest our experiences.  Move slowly.  Only do what we can in a given amount of time.  What doesn’t get done, we can do another day.  Or maybe not, maybe it doesn’t need to be done.  Prioritize.  For goodness sake, turn off the cellphones from time to time!  (Sorry, pet peeve of mine.)  Rest and breathe deeply. Slow.

Motherwort

Motherwort is an amazing Plant.  She is used for so many things.  I with her as an herb and as a Flower Essence.  In fact, she is one of the Essences that I use the most. One of my first herb teachers, Susan Hess from Farm at Coventry, taught me that Motherwort is for any time you want your mother’s arms around you.  She shared with us that it is also for when you want your arms around your child.  I love those images and they have stuck with me.

Motherwort has these beautiful, sweet little flowers; however, when her seeds develop she gets very prickly (or protective).  This physicality is a good description of how I work with her as a Flower Essence.  Motherwort Flower Essence is protective and strengthening.  She helps us with our boundaries.  So often, our boundaries are weak or two expansive.  So we say yes, when we really want to say no.  Or we allow people to treat us in ways that aren’t healthy.  Motherwort helps us to change this and to create healthy boundaries.

Why am I sharing this Essence with you now?  Well, for two reasons.  First, as I mentioned previously, I have a new garden this year.  Several Plants have become guardians of this garden (Ragweed was the most insistent and visual; however, that is a story for another time.)  This fall as I was working, I discovered that Motherwort was voluntarily growing all along the outer rim of my garden.  To me this was another example of Plants’ sense of humor and another reason for gratitude.  As I spent more time with her, it was evident that I needed to share her with you.

I also chose this time because we are heading into the holidays and big family celebrations.  I know that families are wonderful and tend to push our buttons (and our boundaries).  So I thought Motherwort may help you at those prickly times.

Thanksgiving, Gratitude, Abundance and Manifestation

Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  I love gathering with my family, consuming large amounts of delicious food, and expressing my gratitude for the many gifts.  When I was young, we always celebrated at my grandmother’s (Mimi’s) house.  Our extended family would be there, generally with a few extras, whom Mimi was wrapping her wings around.  It was always amazing that our table could expand to fit everyone.  If you were on the far side and needed to get something, the only way was to crawl under the table.  The food was incredible.  I remember everyone sneaking into the kitchen trying to get a piece of turkey as my grandfather was carving it.  He was constantly squawking and smacking hands.

Our table has changed over the years.  We no longer need the large extenders as people have passed onto the other world or simply moved away.  This year, we will be celebrating at my house.  While we have changed (I am no longer the little girl acting out my part of the ballet recital!  This shows the incredible love and patience of my family to watch me stand and tap my foot for several minutes before I dance-ran across the floor and did a jump, completing my part of Tchaikovsky’s “The Waltz of the Flowers”), the focus has remained the same: Family, Food, and Gratitude.  Three of my favorite things!

Gratitude

This year I have really focused on gratitude.  I’ve discovered that the more grateful that I am for the many gifts, the more I have to be grateful (“great-full”) for.  It really has brought about so much change for me.

As I look around and go about my day, my eyes are constantly searching for gifts.  While I don’t do this in a way of expectation, I do this with reverence.  For instance, my son had an injury this spring.  I went to look for Plantain to help with the infection; however, the Plantain was very elusive.  I started seeing what I was walking through, it was a field of Red Clover.  As I greeted her, I realized that this was the medicine that Sy needed.  Red Clover is an excellent blood purifier.  While I harvested some, I was completely overwhelmed with gratitude for her.  This has happened to me many times (of course with other Plants).  Some may say that it is a matter of being more mindful.  I guess in a way it is.  However, Plants are very intelligent, when we recognize that they are gifts and receive them with respect and honor; they are more willing to help and be a bigger presence in our lives.

On a more personal note, shifting my focus onto gratitude helped me (well is continuing to help me) through my grief.  When my brother died, what hurt the most was that I would not see him or touch him again (not as I did when he was alive) and that he couldn’t physically be there for his son.  I was very angry at all the lost chances. Then, I started remembering the times that I did share with him and the abundance of gifts that he gave me.  I realized how lucky I am to have known him and shared my life with him.

Here are two techniques I feel help cultivate gratitude.  Of course, you can also simply look around you and give thanks for all the gifts that surround you.

Breath of Gratitude

Sit with a Plant.  If you like, you can imagine that you have roots that grow out of the bottom of your spine into the earth.  Imagine that your roots intertwine with the Plant’s roots.  When you breathe in, realize that your breath is a gift from the Plant.  Breathe in ki’s Love.  When you exhale, give your breath to the Plant.  Send it with Love.  Now breathe in again, this time breathe in the Love and gratitude from the Plant.  Breathe out Love and gratitude for the Plant.  Do this for as long as you like, preferably at least 5 minutes.

Remember we need Plants to survive.  We rely on their exhale, for our oxygen.  Recognize this as a gift of life.  The Plants can survive without us.  However, they do appreciate our exhale of carbon dioxide.  We are intimately connected through our breaths.

Heart Breathing

Take some time for yourself.  Sit in a quiet, peaceful place, outside is best.  Spend some time breathing in and out through your Heart.  You may find some resistance to this at first.  That’s okay, keep trying.  Our Heart is an amazing sensory organ, among other things.  When we learn to breathe through our Hearts, or really acknowledge our Heart in any way, we see connections that before were invisible to us.

While I find that it is easiest to start in a quiet, peaceful environment.  You can do this anywhere.  I think this is a great tool for when you find yourself in an uncomfortable situation.  When done within a group, I believe it helps to foster group connection or resonance.

While Heart breathing is a simple activity, it has profound effects.  As I mentioned, it helps us to recognize our many connections.  It allows us to tap into our natural intuitive being.  It also helps us feel the world instead of think (or often ignore) the world.  This is an important and necessary shift for our changing world.  In The Secret Teachings of Plants, Stephen Harrod Buhner discusses what he calls “Heart-Brain Entrainment”.  In essence, when we feel with our Heart, we change our physiology in a very positive manner.

Abundance

To me, abundance is directly connected to gratitude.  Once you start recognizing the many gifts that surround you, you start noticing the abundance of this earth.  We are trained that there is a limited amount of wealth (and really almost everything), which tends to put us in competition with one another.  However, if we give ourselves the ability to step back and look around, we see how fortunate we are.  There may be a finite amount of money (I really don’t know); however, money is only one way of measuring wealth.  The Earth by her very nature is generous.  She does not like to see any bare spots.  Gardeners can verify this by the amount of voluntary Plants (often called weeds) that appear.  My favorite example is the Plant, often Dandelion or Plantain, who pushes through the pavement.

(Note: just because Nature is abundant, does not mean that we should be wasteful or disrespectful such as clear-cutting or harvesting to extinction.  I think this is the role of gratitude.  If we are great-full for Nature’s gifts, we do not want to take more than we need.)

Do you know anyone who can never seem to get ahead or to whom the sky is always falling?  I often think that what they need most is a change of attitude.  They tend to focus on what is wrong and what they don’t have and not on what they do.  I know someone like this.  She’s always struggling with money, complaining about how she’s been treated bad by the men in her life, always in some form of a crisis.  (In case any of you think I’m talking about you, I’m not.)  What she doesn’t notice is how fortunate she is to have beautiful children, a family who loves and supports her, that she has always had food to eat, and always had a place to live.  If she would take the time to go outside, she would notice the gorgeous, breathtaking, and bizarre flowers that bloom, the trees that give us breath, the ever abundant source of energy (the Sun), the Moon who guides our dreams, and many of the million other gifts.  Maybe that’s the secret, maybe being with Nature, in Nature helps us cultivate our gratitude and recognize the abundance.

There it is again, that message to spend time in Nature.  That seems to be the answer to so much of what ails us.

Manifestation

I have been working with a new set of Essences from Delta Gardens that I feel helps me appreciate abundance, overcome my fears associated with it, and strengthen my manifesting skills.  Through my training with this set, David Dalton (of Delta Gardens) reiterated that we are surrounded by abundance which each of us deserves to and can experience.  However, we often send out mixed signals about what we want.  Along with our requests we may send out our fears (“If I achieve this, my family will disown me”), negative beliefs (“I’m not worthy”), our past “programming” (“Money is the root of all evil.”), or other impediments.  It is hard to manifest what we want when we send out these mixed signals.  The good news is that when we work on these (primarily second and third chakra) issues, we not only make significant strides in our healing journey, we also are more easily able to manifest what we want.  (I feel we also learn what we truly want.)  So the question is how do we heal or do this work?  Well, we can use many different modalities, yes, Flower Essences is one of them.  What we want to focus on is ending toxic relationships; changing destructive habits (including negative self-thoughts); develop a worthiness program; and clear neglect, abuse, trauma.  One of my favorite things that David taught us during this class (I took the class twice!) is developing a worthiness program.  For this, you plan one pleasure per day for yourself, plan one special pleasure per week, plan one extra-special pleasure per month, and plan one extravagant pleasure per year.  Sounds like fun (and very healing)!  So if you feel guilty when you take time out for yourself or treat yourself to something enjoyable, remember that it is beneficial to your health and overall well-being.

Update on Nanny

I’ve heard from some of you concerning my grandmother, so I thought that I would include an update.  She has been moved from a hospital to a local nursing home.  She is passing therapy with flying colors.  Currently, the plan is to discharge her to her own home next week!  She is very happy.

After I sent out my last newsletter, I realized that I didn’t share something I thought was very important.  I believe that Nanny’s shingles are a physical reaction to her grief.  Nanny is a very strong woman, she never really allowed herself to dissolve in her grief.  She always wanted to stay strong for the other members of our family and to make my Pop-Pop “proud” (her word).  To me, her shingles were a reminder that when we do not express and heal our pain and emotions, they will fester and get louder and louder until we must take notice, often with a serious illness.

What I Love and appreciate so much about Flower Essences is that when we work with them, we are looking for the underlying pain (I’m using this as a general term, you can substitute guilt, anger, self-loathing, etc.) and its cause(s) so that we can heal and clear it from us.  We recognize that the illness is a symptom, a clue to what lies beneath.  If we only focus on the symptom (which is so often done in our culture), we miss the opportunity for true healing.

Please know I am thankful for you.  I hope that this finds you well and I wish you a wonder-full Thanksgiving.  Please remember to take some time for yourself and spend some awe-inspiring time in nature.

The Beauty of the Healing Crisis

As I write this, Autumn is in the air.  The leaves are beginning to change color.  Just like Persephone, the plants are dying or beginning their return to the underworld. I have spent the last two weeks caring for my grandmother, whom it seemed was making her own way to the other world.  Today is her 94th birthday, she has surprised all of us, by deciding to live!  While, she still has much healing in her future, to me she is a symbol of strength and determination.  She also has re-enforced my belief that there is a reason for our healing crises.  I really could not find a reason for her suffering.  However, it was clear to me today.  When my grandfather died in January, my grandmother didn’t think there was any reason for her to live anymore.  No matter how many times we told her she was important to us, she never truly believed it.  Now, so many people have filled her with love and prayer.  Today was, I believe, the first time ever, she has really sat on her well-deserved throne as matriarch of the family.  I can see in her face that she is reveling in the love and attention and finally understands that she is important.

While I was not happy with the timing of her sickness, I appreciate the timing of her recovery.  It seems rather appropriate to me, since we are approaching the end of October.  For many cultures, the end of October/beginning of November is a time to honor our ancestors.  In Mexico the festival is known as “El Dia de los Muertos”, the Catholic Church calls it “All Souls Day”, in Sweden it is known as “Alla Helgons Day”, and many countries celebrate “Halloween”.

Most of us are most familiar with Halloween.  However, what seems like a mainstream money making holiday is actually based on a Gaelic sacred holiday to honor the ancestors and celebrate the new year called Samhain (pronounced SAH-win).  They believed (as do many Pagans today) that at this time of year, the veil between this world and the next is thin, which allowed the ancestors to come back and help or guide us or if they have not been respected, to haunt us.  People would set out turnips or beets with lights in them to guide the ancestors to their home, hence, today’s jack-o-lantern.  People would also give offerings of food to the ancestors, which has been replaced by trick or treating.

I have always felt that our culture disregards our elderly and ancestors.  I use this time of year to honor my ancestors through my favorite medium, food.  Generally, I eat and give offerings of their favorite foods.  I also have an offering plate for all of my ancestors and the ancestors of this land.  Up until this year, I mostly focused on my great-aunt Emma by eating a milky-way and my great-grandfather (“Great-Pa”) by eating or trying to eat a grapefruit (that is another story about the power of grief).  This year, of course, I will be adding my grandfather and brother.  As I see this as not only a time to honor them but also as part of my grieving process, I am sure that I will have a more elaborate celebration.

Plants as Healing Guides

I started this summer in deep grief, mourning the loss of my brother.  I spent large chunks of the day in bed.  However, I have 2 sons that needed a mother, so they started pulling me out.  Then, the Plants started asking me to make medicines, I turned them down, because I didn’t think I was in the right frame of mind.  So Spirit and the Plants decided to speed things up and get my healing started.  Because of them (and some dear friends), I feel like I have emerged from the darkness of my grief.  I will always miss my brother and will forever love him, but there is work that needs to be done on this dynamic planet and I can’t waste any more time.  So I will hold him in my Heart and take part in the wonders of life.  Thank you to all who shared thoughts, kind words, and prayers with me.  And thank you to my many clients who patiently waited, allowing me the space and time to heal.  I greatly appreciate it. While I cut out most of the human world, I opened myself more fully to the Plants and Nature.  I was able to spend time in the wilds of Banff National Park, Canada (I highly recommend it) and the Adirondacks of NY (a heart place of mine), as well as on Windy Hill Farm.  I also went to several classes including the New England Women’s Herbal Conference (WHC).  At the WHC this year, there seemed to be a repeating theme mentioned: our world is quickly changing and the Plants are willing to help facilitate this for us and help us return to our wild, native roots.  One of the classes that I took was with Pam Montgomery.  She told us that Plants have always evolved before their animal counterparts.  She also mentions this in her book Plant Spirit Healing:

Going back to the beginning of plants and animals, we see that amphibian plants, which are seedless vascular plants like horsetail and ferns, moved to land first, then reptilian plants like angiosperms or ones that have internal development and protection of an embryo moved to land last.  As plants moved to land their animal counterparts followed them so that mammals did not appear on land until angiosperms (flowering plants) were there to feed them (page 20).

Essentially, since all animals depend on Plants to live, their evolution allowed our evolution.  So we have a very close connection to Plants.  This thought can lead to much discussion.  The point that I want to make is that we owe much to Plants.  Yes, it is generally understood that they give us food, shelter, and oxygen.  More and more people are returning to the knowledge of our ancestors and understanding that Plants have other roles in our lives through physical, emotional, and spiritual healing.

We know that we have a deep connection to Plants through our breathing.  They give us oxygen which our bodies use and then we exhale carbon dioxide which they use.  Pam said something else that made me think, “If we (humans) disappear from this earth, the plants will continue to thrive (there are other sources of carbon dioxide); however, if plants disappear from this earth, we will die in about 3 minutes (from lack of oxygen).”  Now, I know that there are some scientists reading this who will try to comeback with another scenario, we have oxygen tanks, we can create oxygen from water, etc.  I ask if these are your reactions to put them aside and just think of everything that Plants give us and even with these scientific processes, how long could we survive without plants.  So while these Plant Beings are so generous, how do we repay them?  We clearcut, we poison, we genetically modify.  How is that for gratitude?

What I ask and what the Plants ask is that we change our ways.  There are those who are already honoring the Plants and their numbers are growing.  However, the Plants are insistent that we move faster, deeper and share their knowledge.  If we, as individuals, can create strong connections with the Plant Beings and continue to grow these connections we will not only “save the planet” but we will really be saving ourselves.  For once you have that strong connection, you cannot turn your back on the plants nor will you want to!

____

Message from the Plants:

Turn off the television

Spend time in Nature (everyday! And yes, a backyard is nature)

Go Barefoot

Eat Wild Foods

Lyme Personality

What I learned in my Flower Essence training that has had the most impact on my life is David Dalton’s theory on Lyme disease (as well as his treatment plan).  As you may know, when we are working with Flower Essences, we are looking at the personality and childhood trauma.  Certain traumas and personalities are prone to certain illnesses and diseases.  David discovered a Lyme personality profile.  A person with Lyme tends to be: Type A, Martyr/scapegoat, pleaser/peacemaker, oldest/only child, and/or perfectionist.  The overall energy pattern is too much energy going out, not enough coming in.  For instance: someone or something is always more important than oneself.  (Now, if you fit one of these categories, it does not mean that you have Lyme, but you may be prone to getting it.  Also, it is possible to have Lyme and not have these traits.)

I contracted Lyme years ago.  So, this profile was particularly interesting to me.  I am a pleaser/peacemaker, only child, and I can be a perfectionist.  I definitely put more energy out than I take in, after all I am a mother and a healer.  I will admit I was a Type A in High School and possibly in College, but have worked really hard at changing that and so I didn’t classify myself as one.

However, that changed when I had the flu in March.  Anyone who has studied Waldorf philosophy or Anthroposophical medicine will tell you that fevers are soul changing and growth inducing.  In my family, we try not to fight fevers because when you come out of one, you have a sense of clarity and see things in a new way.  (Often kids get a fever right before a big growth spurt.)  I awoke from my fever and looked around.  I had a stack of about 9 books next to me, which I was trying to read while I had a fever!  All of them were non-fiction.  Most of them were herb books, also had a parenting book (Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne, I highly recommend it), and a couple gardening books.  I figured that since I was stuck in bed, I should put my time to good use: learn more about herbs (they weren’t to help me with my illness) and plan a forest garden.  That was when I realized that I am a Type A!

Now that I know these things about myself and the connection to my Lyme disease, I understand how incredibly important it is that I take time for myself, relax, do something I enjoy, ask for help, etc.  Lyme is my teacher and will remind me when I continue to ignore my needs.  For anyone who matches the Lyme personality and has not developed Lyme disease, I recommend making changes for yourself now.  Lyme may be a great teacher, but there are much easier and more enjoyable ways of learning the lesson.