My Way of Circulating Life Force of the Body and Aura

Promoting better circulation of Chi through your Aura, Chakras and the physical body is one of the simplest and most efficient ways to help your mind, body and spirit feel and function better.  

Our bodies, physiologically, run on energy. The parts of ourselves that are not “visible” also run on energy. The energy circulating through this “Etheric” body and our entire physical body is “Chi” or “Qi” which is “Life Force”. The energy centers within our physical body are called “Chakras”. Surrounding our physical body is the “Aura”, which is part of the etheric body. The etheric body is our first “line of defense”. It defends our immune system; physiologically, emotionally and mentally and spiritually.

Our chakras are like major arteries and veins of the etheric body and chi or life force energy circulates like blood through these veins and arteries. It cleanses , energizes the chakras and the aura. This helps guards us from soaking up energies from our environment. It keeps us from feeling drained when we are around a lot of people.

Like blood; when energy becomes congested, it causes the Life Force energy to become clogged. When these areas are not circulating properly throughout our chakras and aura causes our physical body not to feel as well as if they were open and flowing. It can make us more susceptible to depression, anxieties, emotional discomfort and physical sickness. For when we are experiencing energy blockages, our first line of defense is compromised.

Consider setting aside some time every day or every week to “Mindfully” focus on the cleansing and strengthening circulation of Life Force throughout the physical and etheric bodies. This practice along with some simple exercises to cleanse and strengthen the chakras will enhance your well being emotionally, physically and possibly spiritually.

This is the way I do it.  It works for me.  Try it if you wish to and add or take away steps.  Make it your own.  

Step one:
Sit comfortably or lie down.
You can burn candles and incense or play music softly in the background if you like it. I do burn candles and incense if it is possible simply because it puts me in mind frame that is open to circulating my aura. A kind of signal for me to focus on this moment. But it is not necessary nor does it make the practice any more effective.
Tell yourself that you are going to circulate your aura. Take three deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling deeply.

Step two:
Think of being in a group of trees on a sunny day. And in one spot a ray of bright sunshine peeks through the leaves and branches. Think about this focused ray of sun entering the top of your head. Feel the power of this light and its warmth as it goes through a spot on your crown down into your body. Now think of it traveling down a long pipe down the middle of your body. Image the pipe extending down into the ground. Here we are grounding the energy and mixing it. The earth is a powerful organism. Filled with energy. We are all connected to it. 

Now think of the energy coming back up from the ground and moving into both feet. Focus on your feet, ankles and legs. Feel the energy moving up your body through your legs and then the upper part. Feel its path as it goes up to the top of your head and then out.

Feel the energy move out of the top of your head. It will go above and then part in the middle. It begins to flow down each side of your body, flowing until it comes into your feet again.

As you feel the energy flowing into your feet again, stop and take three deep breaths. As you breath, feel the energy moving up your leg and into the upper part of your body. When you feel it reach the area where the solar plexus is located, stop and allow yourself to gather all the worries and troubled feelings you have.

As the energy moves upward through your head, think of it traveling straight up. Taking with it all the worries and troubled feelings you have. Straight up into another place beyond the this reality and environment. A place of healing, and higher vibrational energy. I, personally, image it going to The Source of us all. But that is up to each individual. It can go to God/Goddess, Creator, Guidance, Source, Jesus, Buddha, Allah, Shekinah, Shiva, Vishnu, Holy Spirit. Whatever you consider your Higher Source.


Step Three:
In a few minutes you may feel a sense of heaviness at the crown at the top of your head. Inhale deeply and think of yourself pulling the energy in your head and feeling it going down. Exhale as it breaks up in its density and continues to travel through your body. Inhale and exhale deeply as it moves down to your feet, down into the ground and back up through your body.

When it gets back up to the top of your head, think of the stream of energy splitting …and going down the sides of your body…and back into your body through your feet.

After this it should be circulating well. Cleansed, refreshed and recharged. If you are a bit light headed..think of it going back down into the ground and back up through your body. Take some deep breaths and drink some water.

Things to Remember:

The energy of the aura circulates all the time but sometimes life in this plane is stressful and our emotional reactions and stressors slow the flow. At times it becomes more sluggish if we are working through some trauma or issue to the point of developing a blockage.

Deliberately circulating (focusing on it) your aura at least once a day will begin to clear some of these blockages and prevent newer ones. You will feel better afterward. With an increased sense of wellbeing and calm. It will not make your problems,fears or anxieties go magically away. But it will assist you to meeting these challenges with a firmer stance, a clearer head with calmer emotions.


This is a very basic yet powerful exercise. You can do this anywhere and anytime. Especially once you get used to doing this.

You will find yourself doing it automatically after a time. Once a day is fine but more is alright too. 

A strong aura is such an asset for over all health on all levels.

And always protect you and your aura when in a crowd of people by thinking of yourself surrounded by a bright and warm healing light. One that protects you from lower vibrational energies and emotionally draining people and situations. Filtered so you can
sense your surroundings for discernment but the unhealthy energies will not pull or mix with yours.

Blessings to all, may our Life Force stay strong.

"The Fool Returns"

It's been a long while since I wrote here.  How I have missed it.  A lot has happened.  Some good, some not so good.  Great things I encountered along with painful circumstances I am still healing from. 

Ever since I first laid eyes on Tarot cards way  back in the 80s; I have always identified with "The Fool".  And for the journey of the last 5 years..it is So appropriate.  It feels like part of me just woke up from a deep  dream and I realized the "The Fool" returned from many adventures.  Now I am ready to settle down and review what I learned.  It's time.  

I am not sure where to begin.  Maybe with this.  I utilized all that I have learned, soaked up and added to my personal expansion on this wild ride through life.  It got me through.  I am grateful.

In fact, that's how I will begin.  With Gratitude.  For returning to a place within me that is ready to review and add to my expansion.  

This I Know

Stumbling through life has it's merits.  I can see this now.  It's messy, uncomfortable at times, enlightening, joyous, heartbreaking and unpredictable.  You never know what you will find.  I should know because that is pretty much how I started my early years and continued well into adulthood.

As the years went by my gait through this journey became more steady, even though I still could not fully grasp what was pulling me or what I was heading towards.  I just kept moving along.  I was chasing dreams, running from failure, or just moving ahead because I didn't know what else to do.  I always had this idea that whatever I felt in my heart I was searching for was just over the horizon.

Now this isn't bad.  I did learn a lot of useful things along the way when I took the time to think about it.  I learned valuable life skills, got an idea how the world works, had many different types of relationships.  I expanded my mind as I expanded my living experience.  But I always had this feeling that I was chasing something that I could not name.  Some part of myself that was ahead, totally in control and just waiting for me to catch up.

Now all along this wonderful, painful and sometimes very unsteady journey;  I could sense my Inner Guidance trying to come through.  And it helped a lot.  I developed a deep faith in my Spirituality which gave me a calmer and more stable approach.  But I didn't always take the time to listen.  I was chasing something "out there", not paying attention to what was inside of me.  

Finally, I took the time to listen.  I mean truly listen to what was within me.  And it took my breath away.  The simplicity of it to my preconditioned my mind was amazing yet complicated at the same time.  But I kept slowing down long enough to "listen" and the truth I was sensing in it resonated more and more with me.  

I finally got it.  All this searching and running after what I was supposed to be doing, what I was supposed to look like, accomplishing and experiencing was not helping me find what I needed.  I realized it was like looking for my glasses while they have been resting on my head the entire time.  

I let life catch up and catch on.  I made the decision to live life in this moment, where I am now.  Instead of searching, I am observing and noticing things I always overlooked in my haste to get to the next phase or place in my life.  I discovered that there is a deep sense of curiosity for many things I overlooked before.  

What I will do with this realization; I am not sure.  I will grow into it and see where it takes me.  I will see what  I can observe, experience, meet and learn as I walk with my life step by step.  Moment by moment.  

This I know.

The Truth about Forgiveness

As I mentioned before; I have learned so much about myself the last three years.  The Good, Bad and the Ugly.  Yes indeed some of it was very ugly.  But I needed to know, to see in order to free myself of a few more chains holding me in the prison I made for myself.

One of the most important things I now know is the importance of "Forgiveness".  I never could really get this.  Someone does something to me and it's my responsibility to forgive them??  That's nonsense!  Or so I thought.  All the slights;perceived or otherwise, insults, rejections, resentments, gossip, underhanded dealings that I carried around with me for so many years.  One or the other would come to the forefront whenever a certain emotion triggered the place I had all of these buried.

One or another of these repressed nuggets would surface..all the bigger for sitting inside me for so long.  Until one day I realized I had repeated this process for so long that I actually could sense a physical response in my body when the right emotion triggered this repressed mess.  Neuro peptides had been formed because of this.

Then I got it.  The importance of "Forgiveness" was for me.  To help me let go of the jumbled mess inside me.  To stop the ,"I am the victim/martyr of all time," nonsense.  To stop allowing these actions along with the people connected to them to have any hold on me.  Forgiveness was the only way.  It made even more sense when I took it a step further.  People don't plan to ruin someone's day or do mean underhanded things.  Unless they are just bat crap crazy.  No, most of the time it is their fear..and the ideology of victim hood they are carrying around.  So why would I allow someone's weak moment of meanness to have some strange hold on me for years?  Wow.

We become what we resent and fear in others because we are fearful of being resented.  It's a vicious cycle.  And everyone who is human is wired to do this.

I have learned to forgive for my own well being and it is so freeing.  Why did it take me so long.????




 My mind does not always tell me the truth.  It's not intentional.  It's my emotions/ego trying to make me feel better..by allowing my mind to pick out facts and information that support my own preconditioning.  In other words, it's telling me what I want to believe.  That's not necessarily the truth.  Sometimes observing with objectivity is scary and painful.  Shakes up your world and what you want to believe.   But the there really is more than one side to every situation.

“Marathon” or “Foeniculum Vulgare"

Back in 490 BC the Greeks and Persians were battling in a field of fennel, the plains of marathon.  Marathon meaning fennel.

Roman soldiers chewed Fennel for increased endurance.  Later on the Puritans called it “the meeting seed”.    Many of the congregation would chew fennel seeds to ward off sleepiness and hunger during long church services.

Fennel seeds are miraculous,  fragrant and tasty little pods of medicinal goodness and can be found in any grocery store in the spice section. Chewing 10 to 15  fennel seeds once or twice a day are helpful to the body in many ways.

Fennel  speeds up the digestive process.  This is especially good for those who suffer with Type 2 Diabetes.  Frequently people with type 2 Diabetes develop a slowing down of peristalsis, which is the muscle movement of the intestine in the digestive process to move waste down to be expelled.    This disorder is called Gastro Paresis.  Chewing fennel seeds will help alleviate this by acting as an antispasmodic and helping the digestive juices do their work.

Fennel helps alleviate indigestion, improves pancreatic function.  It is also used for Irritable Bowel Syndrome, nausea, diarrhea, coughs from colds or bronchitis.

These little seeds will enhance energy levels, act as a diuretic.

Fennel seeds are also good for suppressing appetite if taken before meals.  Chew 10 to 15 seeds before meals and you will feel full faster and eat less.

I chew the seeds and also make them into a tea form.

Fennel is one of my  most used “Kitchen Medicine Goto  items.  These are the basics on how to utilize this wonderful seed.

Fennel Tea ( Tisane) with Honey

Boil 2 or 3 cups of water

Crush 2 teaspoons of Fennel seed with a spoon and add to boiling water.  Turn off heat and steep for 5 to 10 minutes.

You can strain the seeds or leave them in the tea.  Add honey for taste.

This tastes good and is a great digestive aid.  Also good for colds and bronchitis.

This information is intended for your general knowledge only and not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment specific to medical conditions.  If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have a chronic or serious illness, and /or have many sensitivities and allergies check with your doctor before using Fennel.

Riding the Wind, Flowing with Water

I can't believe it is October.

Summer was wonderful.  Green, lush and bountiful.  I harvested so much Jewelweed, Plantain, Dandelions, Red clover, Passion flower, Mint, Sage and, of course, Boneset.  This is the summer I learned to make soap.  And I honed my salve/ointment making skills.

I worked on several personal projects since the last time I wrote.  I taught some Reiki classes,  I gave some lectures on Kitchen Medicine.  I spent some time writing a few tutorials on healing with energy and plant medicine.

I began taking yoga classes which now feel absolutely necessary to me.  I even took up belly dancing again.  Nothing moves previously ignored muscles like belly dancing.

This summer was the official "coming out" of my ointments and salves.  I sold quite a few and actually have requests for more.  Amazing.  I love making them so much.  I chose three and focus my intent on them.  Plantain, Jewelweed and Cayenne.

In retrospect, I can see that "Expansion" was the theme of this summer.  Branching out and sharing what I have learned about healing and learning more.  There is no better teacher than connecting with others and stepping into previously unknown experiences.

I didn't sit down and plan all of this.  Everyday I just seemed to flow from one step to another.

This summer brought a lot of changes.  And it was not without challenges.  I still struggle with some issues relating to everyday life.   Personal dilemmas that are connected to the deep deep part of me.
Daily meditations and self treatment with Reiki aid my processing of these things.  And allow me to follow the patterns of the wind and water that appear to be moving me along.  Continue my growth and expansion while simultaneously processing my dilemmas.

This ability alone has taught me so much about how our healing practices aid us through life.  Things that used to shut me down for days now cause detours that I am slowly able  navigate through  with  no outright blockages.  I am so grateful for learning  (remembering) how to do this.

Many lessons I have learned in just a few short months.  The most recent lesson I learned today.

Yesterday I attended a really wonderful Healing Arts Fair in Fayetteville, WV.  I have attended a few in my lifetime in Virginia.  This was a special one for many reasons.  It was the first one held in this area.  And it was the first time I have ever participated,  It was amazing!

I gave Aura and Chakra Strengthening Treatments with Reiki and gave short tutorials about the importance of circulating life force throughout our etheric bodies.   I sold some of my ointments.  I met so many wonderful people.  I was amazed at how many people came.  I loved being part of it.
It was breathtaking to me.   Something I previously only dreamed of doing..I did.

My zeal caused me to overextend myself.  ...The pure delight of being part of something this huge and important to me overrode my good sense..  It was my own fault.  I was like a kid in a candy store.

It began at 11am.    I lost track all track of time after 2pm.   My friend and "Fen Shui" expert had to leave then.  She had taken the things I brought with me and made an amazing treatment area for me.  More on that another time.   Anyway after she left I just kept doing treatments.  I was so involved with it.  Until some alert sounded in me as I was finishing up what would be my last treatment of the day.

And when I gained some awareness of time and space I knew I had to stop, pack up and go home.  Drunk with energy work,  exhaustion from standing for hours, light headed from not eating or drinking enough...I took the time while grounding myself and drinking some water in my car before driving home to acknowledge that I learned a valuable lesson.  And I will heed it.  I knew intellectually that with energy work there has to be space in between treatments,  drink water, ground myself often and limit the treatments to a certain number of people per day.  But I never was in a situation exactly like that and I didn't monitor myself well enough.  Too much of a good thing will wear you out.

So today I am taking it easy.  I have no choice.  I am still feeling the effects of my venture.  I had many things I wanted to do today..but it's not happening.

Was it worth it?  ABSOLUTELY!  I am so grateful for yesterday at the Healing Arts Fair. What a blessing it was.   I will never forget it my whole life.  This summer has  shown me other doors that had been waiting to be opened by me that I couldn't see before.  I was too busy trying to bang on the ones that have shut in my face.
And I am definitely going to do this again.  With moderation and mindfulness.

So I say goodbye to Summer and welcome the Fall that arrived a couple of weeks ago.  I am thankful for all the things I experienced, the blessings I received and new wisdom I have acquired.

What is my next plan?  Right now I am going to take my puppy (who is no longer a puppy) for a walk in my little hollow.  Take some deep cleansing breaths of the cool air and admire the myriad of colors in the trees.  I will ground, center and revive myself.

I will "ride the wind", "flow with water" and confer with my Inner Guidance.   And see where it takes me.   Utilize the things I have learned and experience more lessons I need to learn.

The End of Winter

It's been a long, snowy and cold winter for most of us.  Here in the mountains of West Virginia it was.  Once again I seem to go into hibernation mode.

I haven't written for a long time because it appears that winter time is part of my deeply contemplative mode.  And contemplate I did.  In fact, there were times I didn't want to but the long cold days demanded it.

During this time I spent a lot of time with my growing puppy, Jackson.  I managed to stay connected with friends.  I helped my husband prepare for his long and bitter cold nights on top of Coal River Mountain.  And many hours were spent reading.

In March I traveled to Richmond to meet friends in Virginia for a concert.  It was wonderful yet strange.  I helped teach a couple of Reiki classes and my herbal classes resumed.   I meditated a lot and gave Reiki to myself, everyone around me and everything around me.

My husband and I made it though the winter without any illness.  A couple of times we had some beginning symptoms of a virus or cold.  Thankfully, using Reiki and plant medicine we were able to lose it quickly.  Surprisingly so.

The most important activity of the winter was continued emotional healing.  I was able to work through a large amount of anxieties and pain acquired during the incredibly difficult years of my life.  Things that were buried deeply inside me worked their way to the surface.  It wasn't fun and many times I tried to fight it.  However, I finally realized what was happening and stopped resisting.  I let it happen.  Although it was very painful at times it was a great experience in the long run.

I am able to see things from a wider perspective and it has given me a higher level of compassion for the human condition.  The situations people have to endure at times is heartbreaking.   And with this I learned to listen.  No longer trying to "fix things"; I finally got it that the most important act of compassion is to listen.  Allowing a wounded person to bear witness to their pain is sometimes the most compassionate action there is.  And maybe the most healing.   Bearing witness is acknowledging.   I learned that one of the most important steps of emotional and spiritual healing is to acknowledge and legitimize the pain.

Once the pain is on the table then the work of healing can begin.

That's what I learned this winter.  

Stormy Days

I woke up this morning with strange aching around my neck and the back of my head.  My heart center feels "lumpy and tender".  I sense a stream of something coming up through my second chakra...through my solar plexus..into my aching lumpy heart center.  It feels like frustration with a bit of impatience thrown in.  The least amount of effort seems to be too much.

As I attempt to pull my "Self" away from this hotbed  of misery long enough to observe and assess the situation; I notice this overwhelming stream of sadness coming over me and then I burst into tears.  So now I am aching and tearful and I have absolutely no reason why.

I have worked at processing my emotions for so long that I have condtioned myself not to rely on "triggering situations" to provide the reason.  I am stymied.    I don't have a clue as to why I feel so awful this morning.  I can't even identify any "triggering"  sensations or situations that precipitated this dilemma.


I will admit that they crying wave brought me a sense of inner relief but still I have no idea what caused the sobbing fit.  I do feel calmer and less frustrated and impatient.  But I do sense a mild and quiet sadness has settled in me a bit.  My neck and head are still aching.

I am trying to just sit with this and not resist.  To observe the patterns of the energy movement and my responses while giving myself  Reiki as a supportive compassionate action.   I will consciously circulate my energy to prevent blockages.  I will be kind to myself.

This storm will eventually pass and maybe I will learn something new about my "self".  

The Eyes Have It

Eyes are wondrous organs. They serve us in so many amazing ways, many we are not even aware of. Eyes are busy every second of our waking lives. They not only help us see our surroundings but they allow others to see our truer selves, beyond the defensive facade we present to this physical plane.

Our eyes are busy and sometimes they become strained. From carrying our emotional stress, doing close up work on electronic devices daily, viewing the multiple stimuli that happens around us every minute of the day and just being open for too long without a rest.

I used to take my eyes for granted. I was, of course, aware of their importance to the human body in an intellectual way. I used them constantly without acknowledging or giving a thought to how strained they might be. . I wasn't aware until I began practicing Reiki.

The first time I placed my hands over my eyes with the intent to ease the physical and emotional stress of my eyes; I could not believe the immense sense of relief I sensed deep in my eyes, reaching far down into the other parts of my body. It literally caused tears to form and fall. From that initial experience of actually focusing on my eyes with a healing intent, I realized the magnitude of importance my eyes have over my life.

I could sense for the first time the connection my eyes have with not only physical vision but subtle energies. How the power of my eyes connects with my energy centers of my body.

After that I began incorporating “eye care” into my daily energy cleansing and aura circulating practices. I, of course, give my eyes “energy healing” treatments. My method of choice is Reiki. But there are many other modes of “energy healing” which are just as effective. The goal is to ease the stress and strain of our eyes.

Other methods of relieving eye strain and stress are aromatheraphy, massaging the forehead and face, cold compresses , eye exercises, and taking a break from close up work, closing your eyes and taking deep breaths. Merely placing the palms of your hands over your eyes is soothing and healing.

There are so many methods to achieve the goal of easing our beautiful orbs. The most important thing is that we remember to incorporate them into our daily routines of self care. Because the eyes have it and manage it all for us.

Holiday Season

I love the holiday season; however, it makes me sad and anxious.  I have been working through this for the last 5 years.  It is improving but I am not there yet.

One of the things I do is to consciously fix my focus on things I enjoy.  Not what I am supposed to like or  what everyone else seems to like.  I also give myself Reiki every morning and evening while reminding myself to not make false priorities for myself based on what I am preconditioned to believe is necessary for Christmas.

This particular season is what I choose to make of it and the celebration of it is up to me.  I have promised myself that whatever I choose to do,  I will not feel inadequate, rushed, in a panic or frustrated.  I will find something to enjoy, relish and be thankful for every day.

These things have truly made a difference in how I react and respond to the time between Thanksgiving and New Year's.

It is snowy and cold out today.  I bundled up and took my puppy for a walk.  I thoroughly enjoyed the way the trees and ground are holding the snow.  It look like a wonderland to me.  My little creek is swollen and rushing down the mountain with a sound that is like music to my ears and my soul.

While brewing  my favorite coffee, I began  reading articles on one of my favorite subjects;  I found a really good one by Pamela Miles.  She is a Reiki Teacher and has a great blog.  This article in particular really touched something inside me.

I want to share the link for this article.  Here it is:  "Breathing in Reiki"   I hope it blesses your thoughts and your day as it did mine.

Shifting into Winter with Gratitude

The trees and plants have laid down to sleep for a few months.  My work outside is completed until Spring.  My house and little hollow are prepared for winter.    Daylight ends in the early evening.   I am settling in, making peace with the season.  

For most of my adult life I have dreaded and almost despised winter.  I  blame winter for any discomfort, malaise, losses  and inconvenience that occurred in the previous chapter to my life.   My "Inner Guidance" has called upon me to explore  the possibilities of this season like never before.  I choose to process the real or imagined hardships that I  associate with winter.   To do this I need to acknowledge where I am in this moment.  

 My life circumstances have improved immeasurably in ways I never expected.   By contemplating each and everything I am grateful for; I realize that a lot of my attitudes about winter are influenced by the struggles, losses,  hardships and discomfort of  years gone by.   I have locked myself in a jail cell of my own making..a jail cell of despising winter.  

I will begin consciously changing my perception of this season by reviewing my gratitude list everyday and employing all the tools I know.  With Meditation, Reiki, Journeying I will continue to process the emotional pain that I perceive winter to bring me.  

I am ready for this.  I will have the best season ever as I shift into winter with gratitude.  

Beautiful Mystery

On the way back from visiting friends in Virginia; my husband and I stopped at a rest area to let our puppy stretch and potty.  While we were there I was standing by the fence that marked the end of the rest stop.  There was a valley and then another ridge.  On the next ridge I spotted this strange but beautiful structure.  I found my camera and snapped a couple of pictures of it.

I have no idea what this building is.  I have even searched on maps and google earth.  I have asked people.  No one knows.  At least, no one I have come across.  So for now it is my "Beautiful Mystery".   I catch myself thinking of it often.  It appears to coax a of stream of thought from my subconscious.

I know in time I will find out what this structure is.  But until then I will keep searching for and pondering this amazing puzzle.  For now it is my mystical muse.

Glorious Samhain

This Halloween was remarkable to me.  It was quiet yet powerful.


Hallow's Eve is basically my New Year's Eve.  It has always felt that way to me.  Even as a child.  It was especially thrilling for me to perform my Hallow's Eve prayer/blessing/gratitude ritual in the area of my Healing Ground.  A small grove by the little creek   that I have been utilizing more and more when my Inner Self calls on  me to physically perform a prayer/meditation/blessing ritual.

Last night was one of those occasions.  My puppy, Jackson, was with me.  Just as my beloved friend, Evie,  stood by me for years while she was in this plane.   I called the Four Corners and Cast a Circle.  It felt so right to be once again actively communing with the Natural and Spiritual World.

My words, my energy intersecting and merging perfectly with my intent.   I felt the presence of others before me who have called down the moon and gathered forces for the good of all.  I heard the crunch of the leaves under my feet.  The air was filled with aroma of pine.  The overcast skies promising rain, hovered close.  Fingers of mist and fog already trickling down the mountain, filling the little hollow.  The day almost done, night not yet here.  It was beautiful.



Glorious Samhain!

Spirals, Cycles and Patterns

Life moves along like a stream flowing no matter what else is happening.  It is now October, my most favorite time of year.  Fall and Halloween are it for me.  I love the sights, aroma and feeling of this spectacular seasonal cycle.

I attended the Tea Festival in August.  My Reiki and Common Kitchen Medicine was a success.  I surprised myself .  I am usually nervous speaking to more than 5 people at one time...The room was packed but I enjoyed talking about my subject matter so much I forgot to be nervous.

I am still a little lost without my Evie...but I am glad my beloved friend is in a wonderful place.  I had a couple of really good things happen along with some very heart wrenching and disappointing things.  Well, that's life in this physical plane.  The human condition dictates that we must work with the ego/emotion partnership and sometimes it causes us humans to have fickle and hurtful traits.  It is unintentional for the most part.  no matter how difficult to accept it is.   Which brings me to where I am now.  Once again, contemplating an important lesson my "Inner Guidance" presented to me years ago.  The "Formula for Emotional Control" to help process and not repress painful things and placing myself in the "State of Acceptance".  Things are the way they are...events occurred the way they occurred...if I process them by utilizing the formula...I won't add more angst to the table and I can open myself up to the  process of working through the discomfort.  Embrace it and allow it to run it's course.

Resistance causes resistance.  I learned the hard way that when something is bothering me..to push it away will make it push back.  The push and pull will keep going until I escalate and project my discomfort uncontrollably.  If I choose to repress the discomfort, it will lay dormant inside of me and grow.  And it will rear it's even larger head at another time, some times years later.  Triggered by something not even remotely related.  Neither of these choices work for me.  I am conditioning myself to face the discomfort of painful situations.  When it's gone it's gone and I always gain a bit of inner wisdom.  Like a little prizes in the bottom of the cracker jack box.

Moving on, a lot has happened since I last wrote in August.  For one thing we have a new puppy.  A friend of mine works in an animal shelter and she told me about some puppies that were found under someone's house.  When she was talking about them I knew in my heart I was going to ask for one.  We adopted him 3 weeks ago.  He is precious, busy, bratty and generally a handful.  But worth it.

I am now up before daylight walking my little guy.  It's really good for me and it is amazing to see how fast he is learning things and growing.  My life is shaping itself into a new pattern.  I have no idea what the end product will be.  I am just taking it one day at a time.  My dreams are more vivid and I am more "energy" sensitive than ever.

I am a bit scattered and chaotic at the moment.  Yet calm, taking it in stride.  Because I know I am entering yet another new cycle in my life spiral.  It all begins with patterns.

OAK HILL TEA FESTIVAL

225 Church Street, Oak Hill, WV

Satuday, August 24, 2013 12-6pm

Tea tastings, mini lectures/demos on healing with herbs and other alternatives methods:

INTRODUCTION to THE ART OF MAKING TEA &TEA TASTING / Dr. Amjad 12:00 

History, Culture & Medicinal benefits / Dr. Amjad 1:00 – 2:00

COMMON KITCHEN MEDICINE/Debbie Hornby Hughes 2:15 – 2:30

                                             

BACKYARD MEDICINE/Lynne 2:45 – 3:00

DIABETES/Donna Walker 3:15 – 3:30

FIBROMYALGIA & CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME/ Janice Sumpter w/Denna Sexton 3:45 – 4:00

WATER QUALITY/Beverly Walkup 4:15 – 4:30

My focus in life is healing. I firmly believe that Healing can only occur when the full measure of the human condition is engaged. Mind, Body and Spirit. I express this in my life by my avid practice of Natural Medicine, Prayer/Meditation and Reiki.

During the Tea Festival I will do a short verbal demonstration of Common Kitchen Medicine. There are so many common ingredients that we use daily that can easily be employed for the maintenance of good health and to help the body heal from minor ailments before they get worse. I will only be able to cover a few of the main ones I use everyday.

The rest of the time during the festival I will be speaking about and demonstrating another one of my healing passions, Reiki. Reiki is a form of “touch therapy”. It has a very therapeutic affect on the body by easing stress, calming the emotions and balances the body's energies.

Reiki is not a religion and it does not cure. It is a gentle noninvasive method of energy balancing and healing that enhances the physical body's ability to heal itself.

Vending space is free.   Just bring your own table.  We also ask that your products be related to the Natural, Herbal, Mind, Body and Spiritual  Healing, and Relaxation.  If anyone is interested in selling their wares, please email me at Hedral52@gmail.com as soon as possible.  

Hope to see you there.  

Hedral (Debbie Hughes)

Grief Revisited and the Wisdom this Imparts

It's been a bit difficult the last week and a half.  I have crashed down to the grieving phase again.  My dog passed away on July 22 at 4: 30 pm.  She was with me over 14 years.  I cannot believe the pain it caused me inside to lose her.  It was definitely her time, she knew how we loved and cherished her, we had a wonderful time together all those years but it still hurt really bad.

I can see now that deep grief will rip the scab off of any grief I have ever had that I did not fully process.  Any grief that has been repressed is buried somewhere inside of me and becomes triggered by any new grief.

It was really miserable the first three days.  I was pretty much immobilized by this crushing pain and I cried so much my eyes were almost swollen shut.  I felt so lost and too horrible to even move.   I just sat, cried with the intent of processing my pain.  Not resisting it..allow the rawness of it to move through me.  By the fourth day I was moving out of the sorrow bound state.

My next stage was irritation bordering on anger.  I watched that with great curiosity.  Where in the world did that come from?   I didn't act it out because I was too busy observing this phase of my emotions.

This too passed but it left behind some interesting inclinations.   It left an urge to "clean up my house".  And I don't mean the house I am living in..(although that could use a good cleaning, too.)  This urge involves taking  a look at the mess the death of my beautiful friend stirred up.    I am  really scrutinizing some aspects of my emotional and social life.   What do I like and need and what do I keep around just because it's an emotional habit?  That is the question.  What pleases me and what do I need to leave behind?

It will take me a while to process this.  More wisdom is always welcome no matter what method of delivery is used.

So besides the wonderful 14 years I shared with Evie, my dog...I am also grateful for this opportunity to review what is working in my life and what is not.  Thank you Evie!  I miss you!

Threads on a Carpet

It's been a busy summer for me here in the Hollow.  Lots of outside work to do along with my planting and gathering of weeds and plants.

The sun is hot and the air is humid.  I can smell the dirt I am working in.  My little Hollow is alive with activity and color.    It holds my attention thoroughly.  As I work on my chores I ponder so many things.

All week I notice my mind travels to how much I have changed in the way I think.  My thoughts are no longer loaded with feelings of inadequacy.  I no longer go over situations,  events and  people who have  hurt me.  I no longer mull over my resentments, failures and  hurt.   I no longer blame anyone for what happened to me, my first husband and my children.

I do experience some and anxiety and fear but I truly believe that is part of the human condition that will never let me go completely.  Still, it does not have a hold on my life, thoughts, ego and emotions as it once did.

I am not exactly sure when my insides took a turn on how I perceive and interpret stimuli.  It was gradual, so gradual I truly didn't notice how much I had changed.  Until...I was on my hands and knees picking cleaver and red clovers and digging up dandelion root.   I was thinking about some issues that in the past I would have been resentful and hurt over.  But I wasn't.  I sat down and looked around, wiping the sweat pouring down my face with my dirty hands.  I watched a Daddy Long Legs stroll over my dusty legs.

For once I could clearly see past my own personality/ego issues enough to finally get it.   Something I knew intellectually but now I experienced it viscerally.  With my whole self.

We are all threads on a large carpet.  The weaving is continuous.  Every thread is related.   Every thread ,no matter what part of the carpet,  is related to all of it's parts.  We are all subject to the challenges of the human condition.   Our perception and interpretation of stimuli may be diverse and thus our response and reactions.  But we are still..all threads on the same carpet.

The gradual changes in me brought me to this flash of knowing.  It pushed me through yet another doorway.  I cannot go back once I stepped over the threshold.  Nor do I want to.  I want to know more about this.  I want to truly see.

Confession

Today I was engaged in a very dogged battle with a large nest of wasps and yellow jackets.  It sounds ridiculous but it's not to me.  I like bees, ants, spiders etc.  And I have had a pretty consistent understanding with them.  They are welcome to make nests anywhere that is away from my house and garage.  I have a fair amount of land and all are welcome.  Snakes, coyotes, racoons, and yes, even bigfoot.  But not in my house or near it.

When I am working in my hollow I take great pains to respect all the bees, wasps, snakes, salamanders etc. I painstakingly stay away from their homes and they have stayed away from mine.  Until today.  Day before yesterday I sat on my front porch and there were no bees or wasps hanging about.  A random bee would fly by but today I go out on my front porch and I am swarmed by yellow jackets.  They are coming from the cushion of my wooden love seat.  I take a broom handle, slowly and very carefully I remove the cushions and under them is a wasp/yellow jacket city.   The porch is full and they are dive bombing ferociously.  I got my dog and two cats inside quickly.

I began to give them Reiki..to help calm them down.  This usually works but it had no effect.  I threw the cushions off the porch into the yard, thinking they would follow.  I asked my Guidance to forgive my disruption of their nests and please help me communicate to them that they cannot make nests in this area.  

I meditated for a long time and continued to send them all Reiki.  The majority of them left but there were about thirty that would come in a swarm whenever I went out the front door. 

My cats escaped out of the  front door and immediately were swarmed.  I took a broom and waved it around in an attempt to break up the swarm surrounding them.  I gave the wasps and yellow jackets one more chance but they continued to remain on the porch.  I checked all over for more nests while attempting not to get stung.  

 A few more left.  Approximately 10 remained and were buzzing and dive bombing like crazy.

My dog had to go potty desperately.  The mad gang of wasps and yellow jackets had seemingly disappeared.  I led her out the door and down the steps quickly.  The few that were left began to dive bomb and swarm.  My poor dog got stung twice.

That was it!

I committed the atrocity that I constantly beg my husband to refrain from doing whenever he sees a bug on the porch.  I resorted to chemical warfare.  It made me feel sick.  But one of my cats and my dog were stung.  I have neighbors that come and go.   My husband and I need to be able to go in and out of that door.

I found where my husband hid the spray.  And after one last warning...I used it.  It broke my heart but I did it anyway.   And now there are no wasps or yellow jackets swarming.  There were a few stray bumble bees who flew by out of curiosity maybe.  I shooed them away because of the fumes.

I just got done washing down my porch.  Thank goodness the majority of the wasps and the yellow jackets left before I resorted to chemical warfare.  *sigh*

Why am I putting this on my blog?  Because I am upset for the loss of those wasps and yellow jackets.  I am upset that I felt so out of options that I gave in and used the bug spray.  If I share this with people around me they will not understand.  Most think the only good bug/bee is a dead one.

But I treasure them all.   I am sorry that my pets were injured by them.  I am sorry that the wasps and yellow jackets died.  Silly or not...crazy or not..this is how I feel.

Verbascum Densiflorum, Witch's Taper, Candlestick

I love Mullein.  I am not sure why but I love the way it looks.  Something about this plant makes me feel warm inside.  I can't explain it but it is the truth for me.  I had no mullein growing around my house or up the hollow.

Two summers ago I was in Thurmond, an old ghost town in West Virginia.  I found a huge mullein plant growing beside the road.  The stalk was full of seeds.  I took the stalk...brought it to my house and shook the stalk free of it's seeds in front of my house.  

Nothing happened.  I was kind of disappointed.  So disappointed that my husband ordered Mullein seeds for me.  I didn't plant those seeds until this spring.  They are still growing out in a pot on my back porch.

Nothing happened in front of my house until this spring.  I was hoeing up weeds around the rose bushes and wild onions.  I planted some horseradish I had received from a kind person in my Herbal Class.  And I noticed a small green plant that was growing in the corner.  I hoed around it.  It caught my attention so fully and I didn't know why.  

After I was done working in this planting bed, I sat down and drew the little green plant in the corner.  I had no idea what it was but it pulled my attention so intently.  For weeks I had no idea what it was.  I just let it grow because I loved looking at it...

And then one day I noticed it was growing a stalk with small yellow flowers on it.  It was mullein.  I was so ecstatic!  No wonder I was so enthralled with this plant.  Now it makes perfect sense.  Well, at least to me.

Spring Has Sprung, So Have My Poor Aching Muscles

Manual labor is good for a body.  And I am so pleased that Spring finally arrived.  I have spent the last few weeks doing the intensive but necessary chores of cleanup of winter debris and preparation to grow things.  

I am happy, my stamina is better than it was three weeks ago but some of my muscles are aching! 

So one rainy day I made myself a batch of Cayenne Salve.  I love this stuff.  I put it on my back, my shoulders, my knees and even around my ankles.  It doesn't have a sharp burn or odor like the store bought Gels and Salves for muscle aches.  

Cayenne pepper salve has a slower, subtle yet very effective heat.   It gently eases the inflammation pain nerve ending by nerve ending.   It will cause burning if you accidently rub your eyes before washing hands..(ugh found out the hard way)...

Here is how you make it:  This is not my recipe but one that I obtained from Mountain Rose Herbal Site.

Cayenne Salve

1/2 cup olive oil

Two heaping teaspoons of cayenne powder (or 15 grams). 

(Just pick this up at the market if you don't have any.)

1/2 ounce of beeswax

(Available at Mountain Rose Herbs, along with cayenne)

Double boiler

(I used a heat resistant bowl resting on a pot of simmering water)

Cheesecloth

(Available in supermarkets.)

Begin by infusing the cayenne into the olive oil over a double burner.

I heat the oil and cayenne until it is warm, turn off the heat and let it sit (warmly) for about 20 minutes, then turn the heat on again.

I do this for at least one hour to a couple of hours, you could do it for 24 hours if desired.

Once the cayenne and olive oil have been infused, strain off the powder through a cheesecloth. Reserve the infused oil.

Heat the beeswax until it is melted. Stir in the infused oil until the beeswax and oil have been thoroughly melted together and combined.

Immediately pour this mixture into jars or tins. (Makes roughly 4 ounces).

Let it cool and then label it.

Using your cayenne salve

This cayenne salve can be used on aches and pains, from sore muscles and joints to bruises and even nerve pain.

It is best for closed wounds and may sting a bit on open wounds. Even on closed skin you may feel a bit of burning or heat in the area where it is used. It should be applied externally only and used within 6 months for the best results.

If using it for arthritic pain it may take up to a week or two to see results. In this case you want to use it daily to decrease chronic pain.

Caution: When cayenne comes in contact with your mucosal membranes or eyes it will burn! Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after touching cayenne or use gloves to apply the salve to the desired area. If you are using the cayenne salve on your hands, consider applying it at night and then sleeping with gloves on.