Buried Potatoes and Other Treasures

I buried my potatoes the other day.  It's really not the same thing as planting potatoes although to some degree the outcomes might be the same.  Let me explain...

There is a Maritime idea, maybe it's a tradition, of piling seaweed on top of your potato patch.  There are as many variations for how this should be done as there are people that do it I'd say.  Some people make a box, fill the box with seaweed only and plant the potatoes in it.  Some people put just a layer of seaweed on top of their potatoes which they plant the "usual" way. Some believe it's very important to rinse the seaweed first to remove the salt. Others don't. I like an idea with so many variations and few rules so I made up my own version.

During the potato "off-season", I have a particular patch of ground where I pile horse manure. It's close to the house in a sunny spot.  I realize this looks like, well.. exactly what it is, but no one around here seems to care.  It freezes in the winter, snow piles on top of it, occasionally we dump the wood fire ashes there. But is affectionately known, all year round as the "potato patch", never the manure pile. Maybe sometimes labels are important?  In the middle of this patch, I reverently planted a very tiny peony a couple of years ago.  It just seemed like there needed to be one there. It continues to thrive and has been joined by a wild rose that just came "from nowhere" much to my delight. The peony is going to blooom for the first time this year I think.  It has been a lesson in patience for sure.

In May, on Mother's Day, we take a trip to the beach and get a huge load of seaweed.  The more the better.  Sometimes it's raining, windy and freezing cold when we do this. Other times it's beautiful, warm and sunny.  This year it was a picture perfect day. This entire load of seaweed then gets dumped and spread (I use the term loosely) on top of the accumulated manure. Then when I feel "inspired" the potatoes are buried underneath the seaweed. 

The thing about this process is you can't be neat, tidy and orderly. At least I can't!  You can't hoe seaweed or make orderly rows.  It just sort of flops all over the place.  This is what makes the planting so much fun.  I just find a spot where I can bury a seed potato and even if I start out with rows, it quickly becomes totally, and completely, random. It feels like burying treasure expect there is no map and I have no idea when I walk out of that patch where the potatoes are. It occurred to me this year that it would be a great activity to do with little kids.  No need for precise spacing, lots of opportunities for discovery and getting dirty, and best of all ,you'll never be able to tell "who's potato's were planted best".  This is totally unlike planting that bean seed with your name written on the cup for all the class to see when your seed doesn't grow so high or you forget to water it.

 I've got all kinds of different types of potatoes in my patch.  I keep some of the ones we like the best and let them go to seed. That's another fun experiment that makes entering the basement a bit of an adventure! When we cut the potato eyes up for planting we had great imaginative stories of what this potato looked like. There were lots and lots of aliens!

Here's the best part. Once you bury those seed potatoes, you just walk away.  There is no weeding to be done.  You can't because you might be walking on a growing potato if you went into the patch! I have never had any issues with bugs. Apparently that's one of the huge benefits of using the seaweed. It seems to keep the bugs away so it's very easy for this whole thing to be totally organic. You just watch them grow and it's so much fun to see where a potato plant may appear next! When it "feels right" to me I dig the potatoes up and enjoy.

It occurs to me that one of the reasons this potato patch is so much fun for me, and it really is just plain fun, is that I really am not attached to the outcome. My ancestors grew potatoes for survival no question about it.  I'm sure they worried about the planting and the growing and the harvesting. Perhaps some of that safety and security in potatoes gene is still within my DNA. I feel connected to my ancestors and my roots when I plant the potaotes and watch them grow.  But I don't have the worry.  If my potatoes don't work out I'll be able to buy them all year long. I can  even pick and choose what type I want. So if I plant a type that isn't that great, or doesn't work out, it's really no big deal.  In my part of the world, potatoes are probably about the cheapest food to buy so I really don't need to rely on my personal crop to survive the winter.  It's very satisfying if it all works out but fun to do even if it doesn't. Hmm...

But I got thinking about the seaweed.  I turned to Sabina Pettitt's book, "Energy Medicine Healing from the Kingdom of Nature".  Unlike most plant medicine and essence lines, Pettitt includes Sea Essences in her line of Pacific Essences http://www.pacificessences.com/ .  Her book explains the energy and healing powers behind the plants and why they might be helpful to you and includes a picture of each plant. It turns out, in my potato patch seaweed, I have the following: Brown Kelp, Rainbow Kelp, Stagborn Algae, Pink Seaweed, and Surfgrass. Or at least I have Atlantic versions of those Pacific ocean plants.

Brown Kelp provides clarity according to Pettitt.  It's helpful when you need to step back and release the confusion.  Life will be easier with more time and energy for fulfillment.  That's true. I don't need to spend time weeding or tending to that garden. I can just step back without worry.

Pettitt writes that Rainbow Kelp provides alchemcial transformation. It provides a connection to our higher perception, and balances the brain to release, relax and reconnect with the light.  Seems like there might be a connection to the Vagus nerve http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/02/vagus-nerve-and-7-chakras.html associated with Rainbow Kelp. A lot of magical transformation happens in my potato patch, of that I am sure.

Once it's all dried up and mixed in, it's kind of hard to distinguish, but I'm pretty sure I have Stagborn Algae in my potato seaweed.  Pettitt writes it "provides inner security and a sense of self amidst turbulence and confusion".  I like that idea in, what feels like, intense http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/05/solar-eclipse-pressing-re-set-button.html times and a rapidly shifting world.

There was definitely Pink Seaweed in the potato patch.  It seems to have faded a bit now but when it rains it really stands out and adds a definite color. In Energy Medicine, Pettitt explains Pink Seaweed is a grounding remedy. It helps in enabling you to "accept yourself and give yourself time and space to manifest your full potential".  It can help provide patience for new beginnings.  Perhaps that's why it's started to fade now. It's done it's magic and is providing space for the new growth.

There is lots of Surfgrass in the seaweed.  Pettitt writes this plant holds the energy of "courage, strength and power rooted in stability and flexibility". So maybe that's why there aren't a lot of rules in how you use the seaweed.  It's about finding your own stability and strength by allowing flexibility to emerge.

No wonder the potato patch feels so good!  There is a lot of nature's positive energy in there. It seems to be all about allowing for the transformation to occur. And in that process I find a lot of safety and security. My potatoes are virtually buried in a host of nature's treasures.

Enjoy the growth!

Alternative Healing for Seasonal Allergies

At least in my part of the world, the brilliant yellow dandelions are turning to puffy white clouds and dispersing themselves into the wind to enter another cycle of dormancy only to reappear next year.  I love the dandelions and have written about them before when I made dandelion wine that actually became dandelion beer http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/04/dandelion-wine-living-in-moment.html.  It seems very fitting that the beer should just about be ready at the same time as the last of the fluff is being carried off into the wind. Dandelions have many medicinal uses and they resonate with the third chakra, our source of personal power http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2011/04/dandelions-for-third-chakra.html

As kids we used to do a lot with dandelions.  The yellow flowers were hair adornments for sure. The stems we twisted into chains and they became necklaces, rings, and ankle bracelets.  Occasionally the stems and flowers together were made into crowns. But the fun really began with the fluff appeared.  Dandelion fluff is the "poor kid version" of those bubble making kits that you blow into the wind and watch the stream of bubbles go off to "never-never-land".  We made wishes on the wings of those seeds. Hmm...

But if all that poetry, nostalgia, or today's picture has you rubbing your eyes, sneezing into a Kleenex, or feeling the pressure build in your head- you might be suffering from seasonal allergies that no doubt are starting to peak to unbearable levels right about now! 

There are a lot of very effective alternative remedies for allergies.  Last year, in early April, I wrote about some ideas to try.  Figuring out something that might work in advance of the pollen fluff can be very helpful.  But if you're just joining the blog now, or missed last year's post, or didn't pay attention because you were busy with dandelion fluff and bubbles!  here it is again.  http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2011/04/allergy-and-hayfever-season.html  The same advice still holds true this year. 

There is also a combination homeopathic remedy for seasonal allergies that might be worth a try.  Classic homeopaths don't particularly support the use of combination homeopathic remedies.  Multiple remedies can kind of muddle your presentation and you are likely taking some that you don't need as well as the ones you do.  There is definitely a benefit to finding the one remedy that really works best for you personally.  But, in the meantime, if your head is pounding and you can't think straight to figure that out- there's nothing wrong with trying a combo. In my opinion a homeopathic combo is similar to taking Rescue Remedy from the Bach Flower essence line. http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/03/bach-flowers-for-crisis-events.html It can be the calming influence that helps immediately until you can figure out something more specific. In fact, if you take Rescue Remedy while trying to sort through the homeopathics you will be well ahead of the game!

Boiron, a homeopathic pharmacy  http://boiron.ca/en/ makes a combination for seasonal allergies called Sabalia.  You can find this in most pharmacies, drug stores, health food stores, and even the vitamin/supplement isle of many grocery stores. Sometimes the packaged preparations seem a little less intimidating to people. They don't seem very different to conventional allergy treatments and there is some comfort in the familiarity of that.  This combination includes; Allium cepa, Ambrosia artemis, Euphrasia, Histaminum, Sabadilla, and Solidago.  It is prepared in tablet formed. You crunch the tablets and let them dissolve in your mouth.  The instructions for use (found on the box) are to take 1 tablet every 15 minutes at the onset of symptoms, or 2 tablets 4 times a day as a preventative dose. If you've waited until you have full blown symptoms of sinus headache, sneezing, runny nose etc., be prepared to go through quite a few tablets to find relief, but once you do, you'll notice the difference in an amazing way. 

The difference with homeopathic preparations from many conventional , over the counter, allergy medications , is that once you find relief you feel as though the symptoms are gone, not masked or suppressed.  You have to try it to really understand that difference, but once you "go there" I'm willing to bet you won't find yourself back in the conventional medication isle!

Even better- you'll be able to go out and blow dandelion fluff with the rest of us!!

Make a wish!

Animal Signs: Cat

I had a conversation with a cat the other evening. More than that actually, I had an encounter with a cat. It seems like people often want you to choose whether you are a "dog person" or a "cat person".  I guess if I had choose I would have said I'm a dog person.  As a kid, we always had cats which I totally and completely loved.  We got to select a kitten from a barn cat litter. After coxing them out from the hay loft, or the porch, or some impossible place, and they became the family pet.  There were a few of them.  Cuddles was the first one I really remember.  Then when the tears were dried from Cuddles demise,  came Fearless,  who fearlessly led a short life. Most notable for his human qualities and his wonderful loving nature was Christopher Columbus. Those cats were part of our family and we loved them totally, but I always really wanted a dog.  There was something about the interactive nature of a dog I wanted.   Although I tried it with all the cats, they never really would walk with me on a leash. I wanted the unconditional love of a dog rather than the earned respect of a cat. I desperately wanted to go for a walk with a dog on a leash. Ironically,although we had wonderful walks and adventures, none of the dogs I've had since I have been "out on my own"  ever walked on a leash very well- way too "free-spirited" for that. Hmm...

So, I really wasn't looking for a cat the other night.  I was doing the common parental activity of "waiting in the car" between drop off and pick up. It was a beautiful warm sunny evening and I was quite settled to enjoy the wait. I picked up a salad for my supper and I had a good book ready to go.

I noticed a ginger colored cat when I parked the car but didn't think anything of him.  I rolled down the car window to enjoy the night air and opened my salad. The cat immediately sat up and starting talking loudly and decisively as he walked purposefully across the street never taking his eyes off me.  He continued to talk from just below my window while he sat there.  I told him I didn't think there was any part of a salad he would like.  He disagreed.  He thought there were some very nice pieces of chicken in there he would enjoy, and in fact, he probably deserved.  I said I didn't think I should be feeding someone's cat, maybe his owners wouldn't appreciate it. He reminded me that no one "owned" a cat and he was a little vague about whether or not there was a supper dish somewhere awaiting him- sort of seemed to not think so. I'm a pushover. Which is probably why my dogs have never walked well on a leash!  I tossed out a couple of pieces of chicken.  He ate them pretty much before they hit the ground.  As soon as they were gone he asked for more. He got a few pieces of chicken, a piece of cheese, and the final dredges of salad dressing.  Then I closed up the empty container, said "You're welcome", and opened my book.

I heard a thump on the car that scared the heck out of me, having seem all those horror movies about what happens to people alone in a car on an old deserted road. After all, I was reading a murder mystery.  I looked up to see the ginger cat on the hood of my car.  He made no apologies for walking around up there or scaring me. He looked right in my eyes and kept walking up the hood towards me.  He looked nothing like the cut little kitten in today's picture.  I was thinking about tigers and feeling very "prey-like".  A Bach consultation I did for a person's cat flashed through my mind. http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2011/08/alternative-healing-for-pets-getting.html This woman's cat would go from a loving cuddly lap cat, to a sudden ferocious predator within seconds and without warning.  He stalked her from behind the jungle type plants she had her house and would bite and scratch and really attack her.  He settled down with some Bach flowers, understanding, and awareness, but I didn't have any Bach Flowers with me in the car!

The ginger cat sat on my hood for awhile and seemed pretty contented to give me a bit of space to get used to the idea.  Then, just when I went back to my book, happy enough that the cat was just keeping me company, he got up, walked around my windshield wipers, balanced on my open window ledge, and dropped into my lap. And purred. I patted him as he shed all over me and considered how thin he felt underneath that layer of quickly disappearing hair. He rubbed his head into my hand and I felt like he'd actually been on quite a journey and a lot further away than some one's nice soft couch. I wondered if he was a stray needing a home but he didn't seem needy; by contrast he seemed to be giving me something. Hmm...

Unlike may other sources, Steven Farmer in his "Animal Spirit Guides", includes some domestic animals as totem animals or animal spirit helpers. He says when a cat shows up you should:

"listen to your intuitive guidance, as it's most likely an ancestor who's one of your spirit guides trying to communicate with you"

Farmer suggests the cat may signify a magical, mystical time when you should pay attention to omens and signs that are there to guide you.

I like that idea so I'm going to go with it.  I think I'll go one step further.  "My cat" that night was a ginger colored cat and that resonates with the Root Chakra. http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2010/11/chakra-foods.html  So I'm going to accept that cat energy as being comfort from my ancestors that I am safe and secure, protected in the world, with good solid guidance from above.

My ginger colored traveling cat disappeared the moment someone opened a door in the building across the street.  I didn't actually see him leap from my lap and out of the window. I didn't see where he went. He just disappeared. He did leave me with evidence. Cat hairs are still in my car. But he also left me with a feeling of connectedness and comfort.  For a few moments I had a very dear friend , pleasant dinner conversation and an exchange of love and affection with no strings (or leashes) attached.

Maybe I'll make a batch of Wise Woman's Ginger Cookies from Sweet Shack and Bach Bar (the recipe is in Chapter 1) to take with me next time  instead of salad  http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/02/sweet-shack-bach-bar-book-review-from.html I think the ginger cat has likely moved on though.  He left with me everything I need.


Safe travels!

La Cage Aux Folles: Tolerance and Self-Acceptance

I saw Neptune theatre's musical performance "La Cage Aux Folles" the other day.  Today's picture comes from their website where you can find more information http://neptunetheatre.com/default.asp?mn=1.22.143  It was a terrific performance.

This musical, first written by Jean Poiret, opened at the Theatre Royal in 1973 and ran for seven years. It has since been produced in film version as well. An English version, "The Birdcage", staring Nathan Lane and Robin Williams was produced in 1996. I haven't seen the movie but I'm going to keep my eye out for it.  If it's anything like the musical it would highly entertaining.

The basic plot line is focused on a couple that live what would be considered by many to be an "alternative lifestyle" in the French Rivera. Georges is the owner of a popular nightclub and his partner, Albin by day, becomes the amazing ZaZa by night, a glittering, glamorous transvestite and the star of the nightclub performances. The arrangement works well until Georges' son wants to bring his finance's straight laced, political parents home to be introduced to a "normal" family.

The musical is a comedy. It is full of one-liners, farce and all things outrageous. But I couldn't help thinking there were so many thought provoking lessons mixed in there that I could really think about and sort through as I was being entertained. Perhaps because, I was being entertained and not thinking about judging.

The theme is really one of tolerance, acceptance, and the meaning of love in a variety of forms. We've been seeing evidence of a lot of in-tolerance these days.  In my part of the world, there has been an incident in a high school where the wearing of a t-shirt proclaiming, what some might call, a religious belief sparked a pretty heated debate over tolerance or the lack thereof. It occurred to me that it would great for this play to make the rounds of high school audiences.  I can hear the outrage now- but I'm just saying, it would be nice if that's where we were in the world. I guess it would be even better if we were past needing that. I'm also not saying that I think teenagers are less tolerant than adults. In fact, I believe quite the reverse. But I think our in-tolerance probably begins to take it's deep roots sometime around our teen years and if we could shake those roots up a bit and talk about how we feel, we might evolve.

I think, what the characters in the musical learn, is that tolerance comes from within.  When we fully accept ourselves for being what we are, with no excuses or explanations we then are able to tolerate all those around us. This happens when we stop comparing our self with others.  When we truly believe what one of the songs repeats, "I Am What I Am", then we don't judge others in comparison with ourselves. We don't need to line up those that are "for us" and those that are "against us".  There are no sides, and therefore no argument. It seems to me that when we aren't sure of ourselves we keep trying to pull people "over to our side", or way of thinking, our lifestyle, or we push them to the other corner because they aren't like us, or we don't want to think they are.   When we feel confident, we don't need to convince anyone else our way or lifestyle is right.  We can feel good in our own skin.

Beech is a Bach Flower essence that is recommended for intolerance.  http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2011/10/bach-flower-beech-for-irritability.html  It's very helpful when you find yourself making criticisms of others and feeling very judgemental. When in a Beech state you find it hard to see the good in others and often have a strong sense of superiority.  You are easily irritated by others, including their mannerisms and habits.  Most of us get a bit "beechy" now and then and could use the soothing nature of Beech to help us feel the good in others. 

But it occurs to me, that if you require the Bach Flower Beech, perhaps you also could use a balancing dose of the Bach Flower Crab Apple. http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2011/02/crab-apple-cleansing-bach-flower-remedy.html Crab Apple is recommended for those that suffer from poor self-image. It's considered a cleansing essence for both body and mind. It's helpful for people that feel embarrassed by unpleasant physical symptoms or what they believe to be internal imperfections. If you're in a Beech mood, you probably think the last thing you need is CrabApple.  And that might just be when it's most required!

It seems that if you combined the power of Crab Apple for accepting self, with  Beech for being irritated by others, you would truly find the balance of tolerance. Maybe you would go a step beyond tolerance and find yourself embracing others because they reveal your own uniqueness. Hm....

You don't have to think this deeply to just enjoy the entertainment of the musical.  You can admire the costumes and the props, the glamour and glitter. You can be amazed by the actors ability to dance in high heels and transform themselves. You can appreciate the talent required to be able to pull all that off. You can marvel over "the ability to put yourself out there on stage". You can sit back as the audience and just appreciate the drama and comic relief of a good show.

Maybe you'll consider your role in the production http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/04/role-assignment-7-chakras.html    Maybe you'll feel a lightening as you let go of two layers of self:; the one that judges and the one that is judged.

Enjoy the show!

Solar Eclipse :Pressing the Re-set Button

It seems like the best way to describe life these days, at least for a lot of people, is "intense". I keep hearing that word applied to situations. I've used it myself more than a couple of times. But even as we say it, we insert a pause as though searching for a better word. It  seems even "intense" isn't quite the right fit- just the best, or only word, we can think of that even comes close.

Nature seems to be keeping pace, or perhaps driving this pace, with "intense" events as well. This weekend, on Sunday,  there will be an Annular Solar Eclipse. It won't likely be visible in my part of the world, but throughout parts of Asia and the United States it's strong enough that you can't look at the sun directly without risking damage to your eyes. And if that's not intense enough for you there will also be solar flares occuring with increased freqency.

 The National Geographic website explains this eclipse on their website 
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/05/120517-solar-eclipse-ring-of-fire-pasachoff-sun-space-science/   Today's picture of an Annular Eclipse comes from their site. They also include information and links on how to make that special pinhole box to safely view the event. I always wonder about that eye damage warning. I remember making thatcardboard box once in elementary school so we could safely look at a coming eclipse. I wanted to "sneak a peak" because I couldn't quite believe it would blind me. I figured, before people understood all the science of such a solar event out, if the sun suddenly seemed to disappear, everyone would have looked up.  Did that mean entire populations were suddenly from then on, blind?  I don't remember covering anything like that in history class.  I do remember that my teacher in elementary school didn't appreciate that question. Well, maybe it was phrased more as a comment if I'm honest.  Perhaps I was labeled as "intense". Hmm...

There are many names for this type of solar event when the sun, moon and earth all line up. It is referred to as a "ring of fire"  because the moon will seem smaller than the sun due to it's present orbital location, leaving a ring of sunlight around the edges of the moon. It is also referred to as a "time traveling" solar eclipse.  I like that title the best. I'm not sure where that reference comes from but according to We'Moon 2012, at the same time the eclipse is happening, both  the New Moon and the Sun will be in Gemini.  Gemini is the shapeshifter of the air signs according to We'Moon. So all this Gemini energy suggests we might be able to slip out of one reality and into another with lightening ability. 

In my part of the world, this weekend is often a "travel weekend" regardless of what the sun and moon are doing. It is  referred to as "the May long weekend".  Officially, this is a holiday to mark Queen Victoria's birthday. Her birthday apparently is May 24th, but to make things line up nicely, the holiday is observed on the last Monday before the 24th.  Seems like some "time traveling" to organize that date on weekend.  In my world, the reference to the Queen is really kind of lost in preparations and activities around it just being a long weekend that really seems to celebrate summer.

Unlike other holidays where people actually plan to relax and take time off, or enjoy "down time", this holiday is really about "doing".  It's a date for people to travel to the cottage to clean and prepare it for the summer season. For others, it's about traveling on the first camping or canoe trip of the season.  Flower and gardening stores have been "intensely" preparing for this weekend.  It's time to travel to that garden store and get all the supplies you need because, all of a sudden, with wild abandon, you can put in those seedlings, plant all kinds of flowers, put in your potatoes, and sow those seeds.

Whether you're building a pin hole box, traveling to the cottage to clean and set-up, or putting in a garden, it seems we are focused on "doing".  I wonder if all this doing is a rather exaggerated response to match the intense action of nature.  Whether it's spring buds coming out on the leaves, or the planetary line-ups, nature is pretty busy "doing". It occurs to me that we can never match that level of nature's intensity.  So maybe we aren't supposed to? Maybe this is a good time to sit back and watch rather than try and join in. Maybe it's about "riding the wave" rather than fighting it, trying to power through it, or race it to the beach. 

We'Moon 2012 explains that an eclipse is a good time to press the "re-set button". It's about having a chance to start over. It's an opportunity to stand back and observe as things disappear. I like that idea.

When my computer gets overloaded with programs, and button pressing, and too much information, it freezes and the only thing to do is press "re-set" or unplugg it. Perhaps our brains need the same re-setting.  Perhaps we are all experiencing just a bit "too much".  Maybe the answer isn't in loading another program or creatig more action.  Maybe the answer is in pressing the re-set button. Once you press that button you have to sit back.  For a second or two everything goes black.  At this point I usually hold my breath, but I don't think it's necessary.  It does no good to press the button a hundred times in fast succession.  It doesn't help to wiggle the mouse. It's probably a good time to take a really good deep relaxing breath and wait until a new screen appears.  I don't really have to do anything after I've pressed that button. In fact there is nothing I can do. 

Maybe the universe is pressing the re-set button for us.  We have nothing to do but trust and allow the release of energy from intense times to propel us onto a new course, a new dimension, a new perspective. Maybe rather than building a pin hole box, it's about closing your eyes and feeling the transition from light to dark to light again.

Relax and enjoy the show.

Wanning Moon in Aquarius & Violet Flame

Sometimes I have to think a bit about a subject for the blog posting.  Sometimes I feel I want to share some research I've discovered. Sometimes I've been known to rant a bit, or sort out my own feelings and thoughts by writing. Sometimes an event in the world catches my attention as subject matter. Sometimes I get stuck and just can't find anything to write about. On a few occasions, an idea  just seems to leap out at me and no matter how I try to turn my head and look the other way- it's there. Today is one of those days.

First it was the wild violets.  Everywhere I looked, and even where I tried not to look (like while picking up the garage from the busted open bag some animal had dug in before the truck came for pick-up) there were little purple flowers.  A few different varieties of violets I think because they aren't all the same, but they are all distinct colors of purple. So... according to Melvin Moon, http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2011/04/chakras-colors-and-lost-balloons.html  that much purple is kind of third eye, intuition calling. I ignored it.

In my part of the world right now, the moon is still very bright and seems to want some attention.  According to my We'Moon 2012 book, we are entering a Waning Half Moon in Aquarius Phase. It actually happens tomorrow.  I typed in a search on my own blog to see if I've written about this before and sure enough, right around last year I was writing about the Waning Moon and how it's linked to the Sixth Chakra. http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2011/05/waning-moon-and-sixth-chakra.html I found some typos and grammar mistakes in that old posting, but I also connected with the continuing theme of "letting go". I wrote about the need to connect with your intuition so you could really find your path and then let go of what other people might think. I talked about the benefits of the Bach flower Walnut to help protect you through changing times as you adjust and align yourself to your third eye. Hmm...  At that point I got up and made myself a coffee.  I pretend that it helps me think.  What it really does is provide some distraction and fuels procrastination.  After all, maybe there will be an easier subject to write about lurking by the coffee machine. There wasn't.

When I came back to my office a book had jumped off my shelf.  I mean, it really took a grand leap.  It didn't just fall over. It had flung itself to the middle of the room almost. I didn't hear it fall. No one else was in there. The window wasn't even opened.  I haven't seen this book for months. In fact, I didn't really know where it was.  It fell face down but I recognize it from the back. It's "The Violet Flame". I've written about it before.  http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2011/05/waning-moon-and-sixth-chakra.html  Like the Bach Flower Walnut, the Violet Flame provides protection and a healing connection. I am trying to ignore the book and it's magical leap.  I'm somewhat afraid to pick it up and turn it over.  Maybe the leprechaun that launched it from the shelf will bite me?

I did decide, while ignoring the book, to troll the Internet for a picture of a purple moon.  Then I would be able to write the blog about the Waning Moon in Aquarius. That's a pretty safe subject. Aquarius moon energy is about thinking and team building. We'Moon explains that Aquarius can be challenged to feel their way through things.  They would rather think and be philosophical while distanced from the emotions of it all. Although they are a water sign, it's a mental energy, not a flowing emotions, energy.  So it would seem that during the Waning Moon in Aquarius, it would be good time to think things through and break problems into component parts, sort out ways of approaching an issue from a step by step process.  Sounds pretty detached and comfortable, productive even. Hmm...

So back to that photo search for something that matched with purple moon.  I found the perfect picture and posted it up for today. Then I clicked behind the picture to see who I should credit with this picture. It's directly from the site for "The Violet Flame" !! http://thevioletflame.tripod.com/ Even I, can ignore that no longer. I'm going to have to feel my way through this. Big sigh...

Assuming this is a message for more people than just me, I'm going to have to figure that now is a good time to let go of the need to analyze, pick apart and think.  In other words, a time to let go of the need to control and a good time to connect with a higher power, your higher self, your intuition and source of power. It's a time to feel our way through  issues and problems, one feeling at a time. Vagus Nerve stuff again http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/02/vagus-nerve-and-7-chakras.html Maybe one layer of feeling at a time. You don't really "do" this.  You "allow" this to happen. You stop resisting and putting up walls. You stop burying yourself in projects and problems, issues and intellect.  The Violet Flame, helps you to release all that clutter that gets twisted into problems. That includes psychological problems from childhood or beyond that interfere with healing and establish deep grooves and heavy negative emotions. It is said to transmute negative energy from any and all sources into positve flow. Elizabeth Clare Propet, in "Violet Flame", ( the book that is laying face down on my floor) wrote that this healing power helps us prepare to enter a new age; one of peace, freedom, and enlightenment. It just so happens to be; the age of Aquarius.

I think that it feels right to pick that book up off the floor and read it cover to cover under the light of a Wanning Half Moon in Aquarius.

Namaste

Book Review: Hair Gone Wild

Maybe it's all that money flying around above my head that's made me feel a little lighter today, but whatever the reason I thought I'd post something a little less serious in nature.

Here's the thing. This morning I didn't shampoo my hair. I rinsed it out with Chamomile tea I had brewed the night before.  The day before that, I washed my hair with a little bit of baking soda followed by a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. The day before that it was a conditioning only with honey from a squeeze jar.  Yup- I'm a salad head!  In fact, I've been a "salad head" (my own affectionate term for the phenomena) since I read Diane Kidman's e-book pictured on the left: "Hair Gone Wild!" about 2 weeks ago.

I don't have an e-reader. So when I saw on some social media device or another the offer to purchase this e-book for free, I asked if there was a print version I could check out. There isn't, but Diane sent me a link to download an app to my computer so I could download, save, and read e-books.  Wow! Welcome to the 21st Century. 

So I held my breath, downloaded the app, and her book.  It was painless actually.  At most, the book might cost you less than 5 dollars.  That seems like money well transferred and transformed (to maintain the spirit of yesterday's post)  http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/05/money-energy.html.

In this e-book, Kidman explains how, by using all natural ingredients, you can throw out your shampoo, conditioners and "hair devices" and get reconnected to your hair's natural personality.

 I  don't really have that much of a relationship with my hair. It "just is". I do remember periods of my life when I cried over a bad haircut, but those emotional reactions are long gone. I have tried without success to master the ability to use a hair dryer, big roller brushes, skinny little brushes, a straightener and a curling iron. I've tried lots of different products designed to do multiple things from straighten to curl and all twisted varieties in between. My hair has been any number of colors, including a period of down right orange after a friend tried out a henna on me. It was red for another brief period of time but I kept freaking myself and others out, so I didn't repeat that one, or the orange shade again.  All this to say, I'm happy enough to do some experimentation on the hair front without fear.

I didn't really have anything against my shampoo and conditioner. I don't really subscribe to the theory that there are chemicals in there that could cause all kinds of evil things, but maybe that's true. I do like the idea of being "self- sufficient" and I appreciate "multi-purpose objects", so the thought of being able to use household food products instead of shampoos and conditions was appealing to me.

In her book, Diane Kidman explains step by step how to approach this natural salad approach to your hair. She gives very practical advice and walks you through finding the right combination for your hair and head. She explains the basics of hair washing as well as conditioners and rinses for multiple hair types and colors. All you need to get started is apple cider vinegar, baking soda, and that squeeze bottle of honey. She gives you solutions for the "issues" you might run into as you try this out.

Kidman warns that you might go through a rather frustrating period for the first few days. She was right on that.  I took her advice though, and about 4 days into the transformation,  when I thought the whole thing might be nuts, I still resisted the urge to go back to shampoo and conditioner and tried a little less soda, and a little more vinegar and a whole lot less washing.  Turns out, I don't have to wash my hair every day- not even close. Kidman explains the theory behind that as well. In fact, there is some interesting historical information in her book that may make you rethink the products you're using and the marketing strategy behind them. There are recipes in there for special herbal rinses for a variety of results and even some natural dying or lightening tips. All the ingredients are natural and you can find most of them in the grocery store. For some of the rinses and dye recipes you might have to go to the herbal section of the health food store.

There are multiple ways to find Kidman's book depending on what application you want it on.  The easiest way might be to go to Diane's blog http://www.dianekidman.com/2011/07/uncommon-thread-tried-tested-and-true.html and go from there.  This is not her first or only book and you'll find a ton of interesting information on her mutlipe blogs. This might just be the start of a whole new you!

You'll have time to spend a few minutes on Diane's blogs and checking out her books when you settle into the salad hair days- less time spent shampooing, conditioning, arguing with and sighing over your hair.  You'll also have the money to spend because you'll save it in not buying all kinds of products.

So far at least, I don't think I'll go back to commercial products.  It turns out my hair and I seem to have a better relationship since I've rediscovered it.  It seems to "just be" with a little more ease.  It's lighter and happier I think. I can't see any downside to the salad fix. It's really nice when something that's naturally good for your body works better than the expensive, chemical products. Bonus!
Enjoy the discovery!

Money Energy ?

I spent the morning at my accountant's office.  This is never a pleasant experience for me.  It's not personal. My accountant is a great guy. All the staff are super friendly, very nice, and competent.  There is a bowl of candies freely offered,  just there for the taking, and it's always full with a wide assortment of offerings. And yet...

I just can't get my head around the "money thing".  As soon as I opened the building doors my I.Q. drops by 50 points.  By the time I get into his office, it's gone down another 20. This would probably be a good time for the Bach Flower essence, Larch http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/02/finding-your-inner-lion.html, but I never think about that ahead of time. It's a wonder I can even choose a couple of those candies. The whole accounting, financial experience feels to me like a monopoly game.  I used to win monopoly games. I did this by hoarding money, hiding money under my side of the board, and cheating significantly. But in real life, I don't even get to hold the "paper money".  In fact, it feels like I never actually see it.  It just gets transferred around from one place to the next and along the way, numbers get taken off and numbers get added on.

I tried to understand it today.  I kept asking questions instead of just "signing and letting go".  I kept telling him I couldn't "visualize" it and therefore didn't understand exactly. He's a patient guy and he loves this stuff- he's happy to explain. At one point we had labeled stickies all over the desk with numbers on them and he kept moving them around to show me. It was a great attempt on his part. At one point, I looked up from what felt like "the shell game". I had already hopelessly lost track of the prize. I realized my accountant was waving his hands in a motion I use when I'm trying to explain to someone how energy healing works. Hmm...

I kept thinking I would come home and write a posting about how the "money system" was wrong.  I thought I felt a bit about it like I do the present medical system http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/03/tiered-health-care.html  I imagined I had a way I wanted it to be. I thought I wanted to see, touch, and feel money changing hands.  I often think I'd like to do away with the concept of money all together and just trade "things" and "expertise" from one to the other. We have created quite a financial "entity" and I sort of have been waiting for it to fall.  Tom Shadyac talks about this in his "I Am" movie.  http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/05/movie-review-i-am.html Maybe we've made some mistakes. Maybe we've put too much emphasis on it. Maybe we're way outside of what we need and have taken hoarding to a new level. But I kept seeing my accountants hands waving like that, and the look on his face. I know he feels about this like I feel about some alternative healing modalities. The system works.. Hmm...

I realize that the accountants office for me feels the same no matter which side of the equation I'm on.  I feel the same way going in there to pay taxes as I do when I'm getting a return. Although it feels like I spend more time on the loosing side of the equation, I really have been on both sides without any change in feeling. It's never a positive feeling.

So then I thought about that Woodpecker . http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/05/animal-signs-woodpecker.html Maybe it's time to beat my head on a different money tree. After all, don't I believe that true change comes from within?

When clients want to understand how healing works I try to explain.  I try from multiple angles. I love to talk about this stuff. I can talk with some degree of expertise. I do have background knowledge in this, just like my accountant has knowledge of finances. But at the end of the day, it all requires a bit of faith and trust in the pixie dust. It's all about energy and the transfer of something we can't necessarily touch, see or even feel. It just is. I trust in that.

There is liberation in "just believing". Once people let go of the need for scientific proof they often find it takes less energy to feel so much better. It just happens without a lot of angst, questioning, and arguing. When you take away friction, energy flows smoothly and faster.

My bank never really makes me produce those bills or coinage it would seem. I don't have to walk around with pieces of gold, or potatoes, or items of trade in my pockets.  On the really big ticket items, it seems my signature does the trick. Hmm.. imagine that! There is something to back it I guess.  My bank seems to have faith and trust that I'll be able to keep finding ways of making those numbers float around enough for them to switch it over to somewhere else. Just like there is some evidence to back alternative healing and energy transfer. But it isn't always tangible. It's something you feel. It's about trusting and letting go.

I guess if I stop trying to hide my money under shells and heavy items, it might find the wings it needs to magically be transformed. And perhaps I'd feel myself as a lighter being. Maybe my I.Q will return?

Enjoy the flight!

Animal Signs: Woodpecker

I was having a cuppa tea with a Wise Woman this weekend when a Woodpecker decided to make himself known. He hung around the entire time and has now camped out at Wise Woman's.  That doesn't surprise me a bit. The Woodpecker, as a totem animal in Native American culture, is considered the most nurturing of all the animal signs. And Wise Woman is a natural nurturer. She has that maternal energy that has much more to do with a spiritual calling than with any physical, earthly, situation, experience or stage of life. In my opinion, the Woodpecker probably was just drawn to that kind of energy as a similar vibration and he feels pretty comfortable there. They are kindred spirits.

As with all animal signs, there are lessons or messages that can be drawn from the appearance of a Woodpecker in your life.

The Woodpecker is a drummer. He beats away at any tree, even dead wood.The drumming song is said to connect you to the heartbeat of the earth. Shamans have been known to use the Woodpeckers drumming to enter new dimensions or perform astral traveling rituals.

But the Woodpecker doesn't beat away on that tree for no reason. It isn't just that he likes the sound of the drumming or enjoys the tapping.  The Woodpecker beats on the tree to dislodge bugs for survival. Steven Farmer, in Animal Spirit Guides, suggests you call on the Woodpecker energy when

"you're feeling trapped in emotional turmoil and you want to dig in and analyze what's going on so you can understand those feelings."

 Hmm... sounds kind of like why I was having that cuppa in the first place!

The Woodpecker is said to stimulate new rhythms and reflect an awakening of new mental faculties.  I guess the ultimate goal is to dislodge those bugs from your brain and bring them into your physicality. And perhaps,  if it feels like you are "beating your head against a wall", you need to change the rhythm of your beat a bit, or move on to a different tree!

The Woodpecker  we saw has a brilliant red head. Apparently not all Woodpeckers do, but this guy was easily recognizable because of it. Red resonates with the Root Chakra and that basic survival, need to be nurtured, emotion. In my opinion, it's significant that it's the  head of the Woodpecker that is red. He wears his red on the area of the body that more commonly corresponds to the Crown Chakra and our connection with the universe and our higher selves. It seems evidence that the Woodpecker is about pulling that higher knowing into your Root Chakra where you can act on it with a sense of purpose and find nurturing, basic, survival strength because of that connection.

It isn't always easy to pull what you know from spirit into your physical world.  It's a little easier to be either very connected to everyday survival, life on earth, and the day job, or to be focused on 'the beyond", meditative wisdom, philosophical musings, and alternative dimensions. The goal is to bring them both to a place of balance where they are working together in harmony. That's when you find your life purpose here on earth. You "walk your talk" and understand why you're here. Hmm...

In my opinion, Woodpecker energy resonates with the Bach Flower essence Clematis. Clematis is a grounding essence. It is helpful when you are lost in your daydreams, in a world of your own, perhaps in your Crown Chakra. Clematis can help you bring those dreams, knowledge and creativity into reality. It can help you fulfill your  potential by bringing your musings into action. Clematis can help you find that sense of purpose.  In Sweet Shack & Bach Bar, http://www.brylerpublications.com/books/fiction/sweet-shack-and-bach-bar , Samantha found balanced grounding through Clematis. She left with red shoes, but maybe a red hat would have helped as well.

Both Clematis and the Woodpecker can help you return to your natural rhythm and find your own way of being. By finding your own way you discover harmony and know you are on your way through straightforward action.  You find the true connection of mind, body, and soul.

March to the beat of your own drumming.

Supermoon Lunar Beltane

If you've been feeling a little emotionally charged the past couple of days, it might be that you are feeling more than a little influenced by some of nature's power.  This Saturday, May 5th is a full moon that is a supermoon, and Lunar Beltane with the moon in Scorpio. Hmm...

I've talked a lot about the influences of a full moon.  http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2011/06/full-moon-preparations.html It pulls to our fluidity and that type of changing force can be positive, exciting, disconcerting and frightening.  In short; just plain emotional.  But Saturday's full moon is not "just" a full moon. It's also a Supermoon. 

A Supermoon occurs when the full moon coincides with the moon's closest approach to the earth. The moon's orbit is elliptical so one side of the orbit is 50,000 km closer than the other.  That means, on Saturday, the moon will "only" be 359,955km away, as opposed to the average 383,000km.  That still sounds pretty far away to me, but then again, 50,000km is a pretty long journey. So it would seem that we should be able, on some level ,to feel the difference. Your brain might even register the difference such that the moon appears 14% bigger and 30% brighter according to NASA.  I'm not sure that my brain is that precise, but I think if I go with feelings in contrast to thinking, the closeness will be apparent.

Even if it weren't for the supermoon effect, this full moon would be particularly significant.  It marks Lunar Beltane.  This alone is cause for celebration.  It signifies the half way point in the year and the beginning of the "summer side" of the year. http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2011/05/lunar-beltane.html  This is the Celtic idea of May Day and a celebration that unities people towards a common goal of new growth.  It's a celebration meant to honor the magical work of faeries as they bring out the buds and flowers of nature. With the moon glowing even brighter, the veil between one dimension and the magic of another should be thinner I think.

Lunar Beltane was celebrated in groups. It was, in part, a celebration of the collective nature of the earth and honored with friends and neighbours.  It was a time to consider common goals and overall growth. Perhaps a time to come out of the cave after a long winter and dance with others under the light of the moon and collective fires. And yet, the Lunar Beltane moon is a full moon in Scorpio. Hmm...

Scorpio energy is pretty personal, and inner directed. Those born under the moon in Scorpio really want and need their privacy.  They set up pretty clear, and sometimes prickly, boundaries according to We'Moon 2012. They love a mystery, but they can be challenged to keep their mind open and remain curious without being judgemental. They also sometimes have to work on balancing solitude with connection to others.

That sounds like that energetic influence again that might cause us to really look at what we want to take on as our own and what we might need protection from. http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/05/energy-clutter.html  The closeness of the moon and  the opposition between the primal need to share in celebration and a desire to focus within and  in solitude is just a little unsettling. 

The Global Coherence Initiative offers a chance for group connectivity during this full moon  http://www.globalcarerooms.org/ They agree with the unsettling nature of the planet right now. 

"The frequency pitch of the planetary consciousness shift is accelerating and the speed of change, internally and externally, is becoming more obvious. Our mental and emotional energy is often more amplified and the collective electromagnetic energy field is impacted by increased solar activity. This is affecting everything from our personal inner balance to electrical disturbances in the internet and other electronics. While the acceleration is due to more light coming into the planetary system, it can often be difficult to keep up with. Many people are feeling more tired, frustrated, anxious and overwhelmed, and at times mentally confused by so much unusual change happening. These are some of the standard symptoms of the planetary energy shift and many of them will pass in time."

Sometimes it helps just to know you aren't alone in your feelings even if you want to be alone to feel. In my opinion, it doesn't matter as much whether you choose to celebrate alone or in a group, as long as you take the time to celebrate. Celebrate the closeness of a full moon,  a new season, the forces of nature, a shifting world and personal growth.

Feel the magic!!

Energy Clutter

One of the news stories this week that is really making the rounds is about a container box washing up on shore in British Columbia that contained some household items and a motorcycle from the Japan tsunami in March. This container debris is an outlier from a huge debris field that is heading towards the Western Coast.  It's estimated to be about 25 million tons of "stuff"!! We're talking about cars, ships,airplanes and about 200,000 buildings  floating around out there on quite a determined path.  I don't think most of us can really grasp the concept of that.  At first it sounds kind of cool.  We've all looked for the "message in the bottle" treasure.  Growing up on the coast you always think about finding treasure.  But is this really treasure? Although it may have been very important to many people awhile ago, and absolutely their treasures, it's 25 million tons of stuff that has been floating in salt water since March after first being hit full force with a wall of water!!!  And while there might have been a few coins tucked into a seat cushion in one of those planes, I don't think you're going to be able to sort that out from the plane itself. 

From an emergency management perspective this is a really big problem.  Experts have been working on it since the tsunami hit.  It's no surprise that it's heading this way- it has been for months.  That's good news in a way- means plans can be made to deal with it.  It's also bad news in a way because it means you really have to think and consider the political ramifications of dealing with this stuff.  Do you have to sort through this in case there is someone else's "treasure" in there?  Who "owns" this stuff now- both the good and the bad?

When I see the pictures of the computer generated models predicting the flow of this field of debris (today's picture is via NOAA), it makes me realize how much energy we are talking about. It's the classic example of how "things" just get transformed and keep cycling back and around with bits and pieces getting washed up and plucked out along the way.  This stuff will flow towards the B.C. coast, then down to Hawaii, back to Asia and around and around again.  It will travel on currents called the North Pacific Gyre. It is a circular path that points to our connections. Hmm...

I believe we have emotional energy clutter surrounding us and headed our way all the time. In the movie "I Am" http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/05/movie-review-i-am.html there are  explanations of experiments depicting the electromagnetic fields that surround each of us.  We can be influenced by these energy waves and some of it will "wash up on our shores".

It would seem, just like the impact and clean-up planning efforts for the tsunami debris, we should all have a good clean up/impact plan to cope with the onslaught of energy clutter that is continuously floating our way.

There is a tendency to collect that energy clutter.  We tend to take on the emotions and energy of other people. We draw that wave in towards us when we talk to people, share their concerns, take on their problems, and connect with them. Sometimes we try to hoard potential treasure.  We fill out pockets with things that might be treasures. We enjoy the process of beach combing through that stuff.  We are drawn to the shiny objects, the emotional issues, the distraction of other people's journeys and lives. Maybe there is something in there we could use.

Sometimes there is treasure.  Sometimes people have wonderful energy, enlightening ideas, and true positive energy they are willing share with you.  We feel uplifted by their positive nature. We grow by connecting and sharing.  But sometimes it's just junk and clutter.  We have a hard time getting rid of it.  We think it might be useful some time later down the road so we take it home. It ways us down and fills our hearts and brains just like a cluttered room of "stuff".  We already have a ton of this stuff at home in our basements. We have our own energy junk. It's  our every day problems, issues we haven't really dealt with, past traumas,and future worries.The think about junk is that it keeps piling up.  Once you have a few problems of your own, it seems more problems get attracted to you. You already know this feeling so you welcome the extra energy. Before you know it, you can't even really separate what started out as your and what is really problems and energy you don't own, but have accumulated.

There are probably as many ways to deal with energy clutter as their are ways to deal with that floating debris. You can read books about how to do this.  You can put up energy shields, do clearings, or recite the Violet Flame http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2010/09/violet-flame.html

The Bach Flower essence Walnut might help protect you from the outside influences of the energies of others. http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2011/05/signs-of-change.html When you see that slow moving wave of junk heading toward you, a couple of drops of Walnut might be very helpful to keep you steadfast to your own path unaffected by shinny energy of others. Perelandra ETS might also be very helpful in resisting the electromagnetic field of negativity. http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2010/11/energy-vampires-and-dizzy-spells.html

The point is, you do need to have a plan.  That pile is floating to you - like it or not.  There is a flow to it if you allow it.  You can choose to select some positive aspects if you're ready and let the rest float on by.  It will come back again when you're ready. It's all a cycle.

When you look down at the sand continuously, you sometimes forget where you're going and you often miss the feeling of the sun in your face and the soothing nature of the waves. And a walk on the beach can be a whole lot more comfortable if you're pockets remain light. 

Enjoy the stroll.

Movie Review: "I Am"

I watched the movie  "I Am"  last night.  I heard a bit of buzz about this movie but I wasn't really all that inspired to watch another movie on improving my life. I've seen a lot of the "spiritual/change your life" movies and I sort of felt "over that" a bit.  I guess I was wrong. 

This isn't a 'guru gets discovered by Hollywood" phenomenon. This movie isn't about marketing something. It won't give you secrets on how to change your life, make more money and surround yourself with abundance.  It might make you change the way you think about all that.

Tom Shadyac (today's picture is Tom Shadyac taken from the "I Am" website http://www.iamthedoc.com/) is a famous movie director.  He's brought the Jim Carry "Ace Ventura" movies to life. Most of his movie are funny, totally goofy, and purely meant to entertain. Shadyac was "living the good life" in terms of fame and fortune.  He had a transformation.

In Shadyac's case it was quite literally a knock to the head that put him into a whole different zone. In a post concussion depression and with the means to do pretty much anything he wanted to, he started searching for what was lacking.  What he found was what is present. He claims that while searching for what was wrong with the world, he found what was right.

This movie is a documentary of Shadyac's journey and conversations with some of the world's spiritual, and scientific leaders.  The cast of characters is wide and impressive. This is not some grainy, low budget, shaky camera production. This is done by a true professional with style and mass appeal . This is someone who knows what he is doing and the subject matter comes from his heart.

There is a lot of science in this movie and it's explained in a way that is easy to understand and can't really be argued.  Shadyac interviews scientists who explain the evidence that proves we are surrounded by electromagnetic fields that provide collective connections between everything. We do feel the pain and suffering of others and of all things in nature.  There is information on the Vagus Nerve http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/02/vagus-nerve-and-7-chakras.html  and how we react to our surrondings and those in it.  Science is starting to catch up with intuition.

There is so much in this movie.  I'm sure everyone sees and hears something different from it and perhaps it's meant to be watched a couple of times to fully appreciate.  One of the ideas that really stuck for me was the research that shows humans aren't hardwired for aggression, war and competition.  Quite the opposite. We are programmed for cooperation, sharing and working together to make a difference.  So are animals. So is all of nature.

Nature only takes what it needs.  We humans, a part of the nature collective, have mis-stepped on that a bit. Just a bit! We're fighting and hoarding, and trying to get more stuff, all in a misplaced effort to "find ourselves" and satisfy our emotions. We keep piling on the layers in an effort to the "pad the core" and in doing so, we've lost our central message.

There's a part in the movie that explains the 51% rule in nature.  When a herd of deer is in the wild they have to balance grazing time with heading to the water hole time.  They need to do this a a group or they would be vulnerable to attack.  They don't move to the water when the biggest guy says so.  They don't choose the timing based on the sickest, or when the youngest feel the need. They don't do it when some rebel decides it might be a cool adventure.  When individuals in the herd start to want water they raise their head and look to the watering hole. At the moment the 51% of the herd raises her head and looks to the water hole the entire herd starts to move towards. It isn't a particular individual deer that makes the decision.  It might be a different one each time. But when 51% agree it's time, the whole herd shifts. They don't talk about this, vote on this or argue this. They feel it. It's instinctual and protective in nature. 

Maybe this shift towards a kinder, gentler, more peaceful, and at the same time exciting, world is about humans reaching the 51% mark. If that's the case, one person really can change the world. That also means we all change the world. Both a great shift and the power of one mean the same in terms of transformation. Maybe all the talk about 2012 and great change is a prediction that we are close to 51%? Hmm...

This movie will make you think.  More importantly it will make you feel. For more information on the movie, the foundation and the continued efforts, check out the website http://www.iamthedoc.com/

In the meantime, maybe it's worth lifting your head and gazing at that watering hole?