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Friday, August 31, 2012

Blue Moon, Full Moon, Full Emotions: Wringing out the Sponge

According to my We'Moon 2012 book, today marks a Full Moon in Pisces.  It's also the Blue Moon, the end of August, and Friday of the last long weekend of summer. Hmm... feels like powerful energy.  But I guess it's always as much about how you choose to use the energy as it is how much energy is available.

We started out this month of August with a Full Moon in Aquarius http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/08/full-moon-in-aquarious.html.  That energy was about being part of the collective, of networking with others and reviewing your personal philosophy. We started out this month with a playful, spontaneous and creative energy.  Perfect summer time, relaxed, go with the flow stuff. Hmm...

So now we're at the end of the month and entering a different type of moon energy. I wrote about the energy of a Full Moon in Pisces last year. http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2011/09/full-moon-in-pisces.html  It would seem to me that these two quite different types of energy lined up like that in the same month is pretty powerful and perhaps could be, just a wee bit, overwhelming.

The Full Moon in Pisces energy is, as I wrote last year, pretty emotional.  We soak up the emotions of others when this energy is "out there".  We are intuitive and sensitive to how others are feeling. And if you spent the month of August really feeling part of a collective and socializing "like an Otter", round about now you might be feeling like a heavy soaked sponge that is really pretty soggy and maybe, just maybe, getting a bit moldy because of all that humidity. Hmm....

Lucy Harmer in Shamanic Astrology, http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/07/book-review-shamanic-astrology.htmlwrites the Pisces sign corresponds with the animal sign Wolf. Wolf energy is sensitive, compassionate, tender and generous.  Sounds like this type of person would have been thriving in the Aquarian collective energy this month. People that resonate with the wolf energy feel family is very important and they will sacrifice self for family (whatever family means to them).  Hmm... kind of sounds like that soaked molding sponge again...

Harmer writes that the life lesson for "Wolf people" is to sort through demands made by others and develop the ability to refuse some them.  It sometimes involves the challenge of looking past the material world to develop a personal and spiritual vision. It can be a challenge to not get so bogged down with the obvious every day demands of helping and supporting that you miss opportunities for personal growth.

So maybe, under this changing energy, it's time to consider wringing out your personal sponge so you can be a bit lighter  cleaner, and able to at least float if not fly. Maybe tonight under the full moon is a good time to sit down and consider whether you have taken on a bit of "stuff" that isn't really helping out anyone, especially yourself.  Time to wring yourself out so you can start a new month, a new cycle,a new season and a new phase of your life.

I've written about releasing some of the "stuff" from that emotional sponge in the earlier post about the Full Moon in Pisces.   http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2011/09/full-moon-in-pisces.html  There are a number of Bach Flower essences that can help you with that releasing. Agrimony, Centaury, Holly and Walnut may all still apply.

But as we move into a Full Moon in Pisces, a little bit of the Bach Flower Aspen might be helpful as well.  In my opinion the "veil between the worlds" feels pretty thin these days and I believe it's possible that some of the "stuff" that is weighing you down might not really be yours.  You might not even realize where that mold and heavy water came from.

When you become truly part of something bigger than you, in the collective energy that abounds more and more these days, you increase your sensitivity and intuition.  That can be wonderful and life altering and peaceful.  It can also be confusing and overwhelming and sometimes just a bit too much.  If you feel a sense of heaviness, fear, doom and gloom, or just an uncomfortable feeling that you're carrying around weight that isn't your own, Aspen is the Bach Flower to consider. http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2011/09/soul-connections-imaginary-friends.html

Aspen provides protection from unknown fears.  It's the essence that helps highly sensitive people when they feel assaulted by the worries, cares, concerns and weight of others.  Sometimes you don't even realize you've "taken on water" until you start to feel yourself sinking. If you aren't even aware of what is weighing you down, it's time for a few drops of Aspen. 

In Steven Farmer's Animal Spirit Guides, Wolf energy is said to appear when you're being spiritually and psychically protected. Farmer also writes that: 
"if a wolf shows up it means characteristics and behaviors that no longer serve your spiritual purpose are being culled from your consciousness"
In other words- time to lighten up people!  Wring yourself out. Get rid of whatever is weighing you down. Consider that you might possibly have picked up some "psychic debris" during this month and now is time to release and let go and start anew. 

Tonight of all nights, under the Blue Moon, it is time to "Howl at the Moon" Then listen and maybe, just maybe, you'll hear Melvin http://www.brylerpublications.com/books/childrens-books/melvins-balloons howling back at you!

Monday, August 27, 2012

Blue Monday, Blue Moon: Bring it on!


Melvin Moon sings on Blue Mondays
 http://www.brylerpublications.com/books/childrens-books/melvins-balloons
 It's Monday.  For my friend that sees the days as colors, Monday is the color Blue http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2011/05/blue-umbrella-monday-and-bach-flower.html . It seems like a lot of people see Monday as kind of a sad, "blueish" thing.  People seem a bit heavy on Monday- the weight of the week on their shoulders maybe?

There seems to be a sort of a strange mix of elation and sadness around today, and this week, in particular.  It has been a great summer.  And now, here it is; Monday of the last week in August. Although Fall really doesn't start until Sept. 22nd with the fall equinox, to a large extent,  in most people's minds,  fall starts with the beginning of school. In my part of the world, that more or less coincides with the beginning of September and therefore means this is the "last week of summer".  The weekend coming up is often referred to as the "last long weekend of summer"" due to the Labour Day Holiday on the first Monday in September.

That puts lots of people in a melancholy, slightly bluish mood. It's as though this week might be  "Honeysuckle Week" in Bach Flower terms.  Honeysuckle is a helpful essence when you feel an over-attachment to past memories.  Before it's even over we are lamenting the loss of summer.  The Honeysuckle state is a sense of nostalgia, a homesick feeling, or a pining for the past. When in this state you are more connected to the past than the present.  You might not be connected because of how great the past was. It might be because of a sense of regret that you didn't "do" as much with the past as you should have.  Maybe you didn't really take as much time off as you thought you would, you didn't swim in the ocean much even though the weather was perfect for it, you didn't have as many patio parties as you thought you would, you didn't play with the kids as much as you thought, didn't write that novel, have that great camping get-away, etc. etc. etc. Hmm....

The positive aspect of Honeysuckle is that it helps you live in the present.  Rather than lamenting the past and the "would have, could have, should have" aspects, or regretting the passing of a phase, Honeysuckle helps you incorporate the past into today. The combination of Honeysuckle and Chestnut Bud http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/07/applying-lessons-learned.html  might be really helpful if you feel you have made mistakes in the past.  This combination of essences could help you let go of the regret and move forward having leaned from mistakes.  It is the ultimate "do over" combination.

As Liz Murray wrote in Breaking Night  http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2011/05/blue-umbrella-monday-and-bach-flower.html  what you do with today doesn't depend on what you did yesterday.  It is a chance to move forward with a clean slate. It's a new beginning as much, perhaps more than, a past reflection.

There is lots of universal power around us right now to create "newness".  We are in a Waxing Moon cycle with the moon moving from the Waxing Half moon in Sagittarius to the Full Moon in Pisces this Friday. According to Lucy Harmer in Shamanic Astrology http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/07/book-review-shamanic-astrology.html, the waxing moon provides energy for us to focus on the change needed to bring our potential to fruition.

We are also in a Blue Moon Month.  http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/08/full-moon-in-aquarious.html This means there are 2 full moons within the same month.  This month started out with a Full Moon and ends on a Full Moon.  Lots of power and potential there, no question about it.

Blue is not a negative color.  It gets a bad and unfair reputation in my opinion.  It doesn't have to mean sad and depressed. It's about the power to speak your truth. It's throat Chakra stuff.  That's back to Harmer's suggestion that it signifies the power to bring our potential to fruition.  Speak your mind.  Find your voice. Create the change you want to see.  That's the power of the color blue, the throat Chakra, the Blue Moon, the Waxing Moon, and Monday's.

So shake off that sense of melancholy and nostalgia.  We've just allowed ourselves to be programmed into thinking that somehow all that blue means sadness.  Take a few drops of a Bach Flower essence that matches your mood.  Stand in the sun for a moment.  Gaze at the moon.  Don't think about what you did this summer.  Don't plan what you should "do" this fall.  Just be in the moment of the power of blue and bring it on! Whatever "it" may be.

You go you!!!

Friday, August 24, 2012

Homeopathics: Never Run Out??

I had a "hit upside the head" moment the other day I thought I'd share. http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/08/meteor-shows-and-chance-to-reset.html  In some ways, it really didn't come out of "no where", maybe those revelations never do.  Lots of people have been trying to explain this to me for awhile now I discovered. Once I got really excited about what I had learned, and was sharing it, they were nodding and saying "that's what I've been trying to tell you"! But for some reason, no idea why, I just suddenly "get it".

Before I start to explain, there is a caveat to this blog posting. I still have memories of my early years of teaching paramedic students.  What I learned the first day, and have not forgotten, is that it is a very different thing to know something and be very confident in your skill level than it is to know how to explain something and portray your skill level to others.  So... let me try and explain this. 

If you have globules, tablets, or pellets of a homeopathic remedy, you have the ability to never run out of this remedy.  When I find a homeopathic that works, I often go through a vial of those pellets pretty quick, especially if I'm using it with animals. http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2011/04/homeopathic-remedies-dose-and-frequency.html
So something like Arnica, http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2010/10/crushed-fingers-homeopathics.html or Rhus tox., or Belladona, doesn't seem to last too long. And just when someone is sick and I know the perfect remedy for them- that's the one I'm out of because I've used the last of the vial and haven't bought a replacement.  In my part of the world, it's not always easy to "run out and pick up the remedy you need".  It can mean waiting till morning, or waiting till an order comes in, before getting the relief you're looking for.  I sometimes figure that's just the universe teaching me patience, or it means that wasn't really the remedy for me anyway.  Sometimes running out of a remedy has encouraged me to try something else that worked even better.  But sometimes, I just really need more of a remedy and I wish I had it -right now.

Here's the trick.  Homeopathic remedies are vibrational medicine.  That little pellet of Acontinum that relieves the sudden symptoms of a cold, isn't a solid pellet of Acontinum.  It's a minute amount ( the stronger the dose, the less the amount) of the vibration of that substance preserved in an alcohol (tincture) and  coated onto that sugar pellet.  Hmm...

That opens up a world of possiblities. If you don't want to run out of that favorite remedy- here's a recipe.  Take 2 pellets or tablets of globules of the remedy you want to multiply and never run out of.  Put these pellets (without touching them with your hands) into a small dark glass bottle. The easiest bottle to work with is one that has an eyedropper lid. The dark color just protects the remedy from sunlight.  Fill the bottle almost to the top (however big or small it is) with distilled water.  Then add a couple of drops of alcohol as a preservative.  100% proof Vodka would be best.  I haven't had any luck finding this.  You can use brandy or 40% Vodka as a back up.  Cover the bottle and hit the bottle gently against your hand 10 times to succuss the remedy and dissolve the pellet. Now you have a full bottle of your favorite remedy in the same strength as your original pellets.  Instead of taking 2 to four pellets take 2 to 4 drops.  That bottle should last you a much longer time than the vial would if you take new pellets each time.  When the bottle gets low, refill with water and preservative, repeat the process and you're "good to go".  Or, if it makes you feel better, take 2 more of the original pellets (because you haven't had to use anymore than 2) and create a new bottle again. 

The point is, it's the vibrational essence of the remedy you are working with and that doesn't run out.  If that isn't making any sense to you- refer to the second paragraph of this blog.  If this still doesn't make sense you have multiple choices: 
A. You can disregard the whole idea, decide I'm crazy as a bag of hammers (another expression I grew up with) and go try and buy another vial of your remedy.
B.  You can research the making of homeopathics, ask multiple professionals and take a poll as to whether or not this makes any sense
C. You can just trust me and the recipe, follow the instructions, and don't think about it just try it.
D. You can wait for your own "hit upside the head" moment when maybe it will make sense
E.  All of the above
F. None of the above.
Years of taking and then creating multiple choice exams has led me to, if in doubt, "pick C", but you have a choice on that too.

Sometimes it seems we make life so much harder than it has to be.  Sometimes we think too much.  Sometimes we apply rules and science in inappropriate ways.  Sometimes the universe really is prepared to provide you with infinite supply. 

Enjoy!

Monday, August 20, 2012

Book Review: Breaking Night

I stayed up late reading Liz Murray's Breaking Night. I was as addicted to reading the book as Liz's parents were to drugs.

Breaking Night is Liz Murray's memoir and a story of survival.  Liz is born in the 1980's of drug addicted parents in the Bronx. She goes from being a true child of poverty and neglect, to a homeless high school drop out, to a Harvard graduate and a best selling author within the span of 20 some years. Pretty amazing.

In many ways, Breaking Night is the modern, urban ,version of The Glass Castlehttp://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2011/04/glass-castle-book-review-breaking.html Both are stories of breaking a cycle of poverty, addictions and mental illness.  Both are stories of amazing successes and "breaking out" in incredible ways.  Both authors end up with lives so very different than what their roots would have suggested.

Both these authors break out of the family cycle without anger it seems.  It doesn't seem to be bitterness that drives them. Neither Jeannette Walls, nor Liz Murray seem driven by the need to prove anything or get back at someone. They just have the vision of a life different than where they come from.  And that's exactly where they both end up.

Liz Murray at no time seems bitter towards her parents. They don't provide for her. They don't make sure she has even the basics, like food, clothing and shelter.  They buy drugs instead of food, they shoot up in front of her.  She is shielded from nothing and protected from nothing. And yet, Liz Murray feels loved by both her parents.  It seems as though Liz knows they "would if they could but they can't".  She grows up somehow knowing her parents totally and completely love her without it being expressed in the outwardly material ways most of us take for granted. Love does not come to Liz in the form of a hot meal, or a warm bath, or books, toys and clean clothes. Her parents don't even particularly try to provide these things for her. But love is something much deeper and profound and ever present. And, it seems to me that Liz, like Jeannette, survives and thrives because somehow she understands she is loved and she therefore loves herself. Both Murray and Walls grow up understanding they don't need anyone else to fill in the material gaps- they figure out ways to do that themselves because deep down they understand they are worthy. In my opinion, that confidence is possible when you know you are loved. Perhaps when you choose to understand you are loved. Hmm...

I found some pretty profound and enlightening ideas in this book, especially towards the end.  I imagine most people would find something in the book that resonates with them, maybe inspires them, and I doubt they are the same for everyone.  At one point Liz realizes that:
"what I did from this moment on didn't have to depend on what I had done before"
Wow.  That sentence jumped right out at me and I think in many ways it's the essence of the whole book. What I do from this moment on doesn't depend on what I did before... I like that!

Liz Murray also has some interesting visualizations that help her get from homeless to Harvard. Some of these are also in the book.  At one point she talks about imagining her life like a race on a track.  She isn't racing against anyone else and not worried about what others are doing beside her. She's in her own lane. And along the way ,hurdles are strategically placed that she has to jump over.  They aren't there to trip her up, or block her, in fact, they keep her confident in the knowledge that she is in her lane. Jumping the hurdles just means she's on track, focused and in her lane, moving toward her goal with confidence. I like that too!

Liz Murray is by no means "done".  She is now moving to help others succeed and realize their goals, change their patterns.  She has found her life purpose, her passion,  and her inspiration.  She has a website at www.manifestliving.com that is worth a look.  She's helping other urban kids find their way as well and supporting them in the way they really need to be supported because it comes from the heart.

In a time when everyone is talking about changes and shifts, and fast paced movement, Liz Murray's book seems very timely.  It's a story about embracing change and shifting out of obvious patterns to find your true joy.  I like that!














Friday, August 17, 2012

New Moon in Leo: The Energy of Change

According to my We'Moon 2012 book, today begins a New Moon in Leo cycle. We're still in a Blue Moon month too, http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/08/full-moon-in-aquarious.html so perhaps there is even more energy in this New Moon.

The New Moon phase is a great time to start something new. Lucy Harmer, in Shamanic Astrology, writes a New Moon brings inspiration and intuition.  She explains this phase of the moon cycle provides the energy required to develop our perceptions and find our hidden potential. Harmer writes this cycle promises opportunity and a chance to put our intentions into words and actions.

Sounds good... and yet, maybe it's just me... but I'm just not feeling it! I want to feel it.  I want to be inspired. I want to start a new project. I just have no idea what that project might be. "I have no clue". I don't know what ti do. And that sort of anticipation without focus, rebel without a cause, energy is rather disconcerting.

I am certainly having animal clues visit me lately.  Perhaps I'm just not listening?  The mouse was telling me "it" was right in front of me if only I'd pay attention to details  http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/08/animal-signs-mouse.html Owls have been calling lots these past few nights, even sometimes during the day,  and that's a symbol that intuitive wisdom is close at hand http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/07/animal-signs-owl.html , maybe even right in front of me again. Last night and again this morning a toad leaped into my awareness. This morning he was particularly persistent in saying "Hello". I wrote about toads last year http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2011/09/animal-signs-toad.html . They are really symbols of transformation and personal change. The toad really seemed to fit when I went back and read my own stuff. Again the idea of "new projects".. but what new project?

Sometimes it all comes together when I sit down and try to write it out so I thought I'd start with the moon, see where the animals fit in, consider some Bach Flower essences  and maybe I'd sort it out in the writing. Maybe I'd figure out what new project I was supposed to be creating-that was the goal.. I thought.

I went alphabetically through the Bach Flowers and got all the way to "V" before I could make a connection with the moon, the animals, my own thoughts and emotions and the essences.  I got to Vervain, today's picture is of the flower, and figured I found a match.  Kind of an unusual match, but it's there, in my opinion.

Vervain isn't a Bach Flower essence I use a lot. People that can benefit from Vervain rarely see the need to seek out Bach Flower essences. Vervain types have pretty fixed ideas and are strong confident individuals. They rarely change their opinions, in part because they are very busy trying to change the opinions of others. They are trying to make transformation happen. They don't concern themselves with their own emotions or think they have any issues, they are too busy rescuing others.  They work to solve the injustice, all injustice, in the world. They love starting new projects and attaching to new causes. Hmm...

When a bit out of balance, Vervain types can be over-enthusiastic to the point of fanatical. Their strong views and need to rescue can cause alienation. They can get their minds spinning so fast they suffer from lack of sleep and they can loose the ability to relax. Their actions can become somewhat similar to unbalanced Impatiens types. They get quick in movement and thought and can become irritable and frustrated over lack of movement, resistance to change, or the absence of change.  Hmm...

A few drops of the Bach Flower essence Vervain can help calm and relax a Vervain mood or type. It can restore a calm, wise, and tolerant mind. It can help one take a broader view of life, events, and moon phases.

So perhaps, the interpretation of a New Moon phase, a mouse in the house, a owl in the night, and toads at my feet is that change is being provided to me- to all of us. We don't need to "figure anything out".  We don't need to analyze what project we are supposed to start because it's good energy to do so.  We, at least I, need to allow.  The world is just presenting the signs that change is coming, perhaps is here already, and all we need to do is recognize that fact and let it come. Can it really be that easy?  It would seem so...

"It is by being rather than doing that great things are accomplished".
 The sentiment behind that sentence is kind of "pop culture" now, and doesn't seem that earth shattering anymore because it's so common. But Dr. Bach wrote that in the 1930's to describe the benefits of a few drops of Vervain.  It is earth shattering and transformative if you really sit with it for a bit.  It's also very freeing and relaxing.

It means that we can just observe all that is going on around us and welcome the change for whatever  it brings and whenever it comes. That's actually kind of hard to accept but that's the toughest thing about it. When you stop trying to make change, and allow change you'll be find the answer. Or maybe you just forget the question. What was I saying????



Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Animal Signs: Mouse

Mice have been making their appearance known to me the past few days.  Sometimes in a bit unwelcome and dramatic ways.  Turns out I'm not the only one.  My Wise Woman friend has a really dramatic story- but that's hers to tell...

I guess I was ignoring the messages or at least trying to. Yesterday, mice were even mentioned in my horoscope so I decided it's time I paid a little more attention to these critters.

I have written about mice before when they made themselves known to me.  http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2010/11/mousetraps-boundaries-and-chakras.html Back then I understood the mouse message to be about a lack of boundaries. It felt like the mice had invaded my space and I saw the need to be a bit tougher, or at least clearer, on what I wanted to "let in" and "let go" of.

In Animal Spirit Guides, Steven Farmer writes the mouse may signify this is a time of plenty for you. But during this time, you need to practice some vigilance in order to avoid missing out on the opportunity. Farmer cautions that the mouse message may be to consider what is obvious and right in front of you, because that may be the message you are missing. Farmer suggests if a mouse shows up it's a signal to
"make a dispassionate assessment of your strengths and your limitations without judgement, and be completely honest with yourself."
Hmm...

Mice are not really a creature that lays around in the hot and humid weather we are experiencing these days to consider what should be done or analyze choices for the upcoming winter mouth.  It runs around like crazy; scurries around, is the popular phrase. It's busy building nests, storing food, and organizing projects I guess. My "issue" with mice is that they are in fact- too fast and furious.  You see them out of the corner of your eye and you're never really sure where they might turn up next, and there's a good chance they might just run over your feet while you're thinking about that! But while we humans are considering all those things about the mice- they are actually "doing their thing" in a very focused intentional way.  They are getting stuff down and getting things in order. Perhaps they are planning the "take-over" while we're still wondering if, in fact, that really was a mouse we saw!

It hard for me to imagine "calling on Mouse". But that is what Steven Farmer suggests you do if you need that kind of focused energy.  You aren't really "calling on the mouse", or asking for one to appear in your kitchen. When you use spirit animals, you call on the spirit, the energy, the vibrational level of the creature; in this case, Mouse. In my opinion, that's a totally different thng and I want to keep that separate- boundaries again.

Mouse energy is helpful when you feel overwhelmed and disorganized and you want to get some kind of order in your life. Now, that's what I'm taking about!  And if that's the message that the mice were bringing, although I might be a bit slow on the draw- I think I'm finally catching on!! Mouse energy is helpful when you are feeling unproductive and you want to get motivated to pursue some project or task. 

It sounds like Mouse energy resonates with the Bach Flower essence Hornbeam.  http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2010/09/hornbeam-for-monday-morning-feelings.html  It's a helpful essence when you just can't get the focus to get started on something. It's indicated when you just can't get moving in a forward direction. When you can't figure out where to start. When you're stuck.

In might just be me, but I think humans in general can be pretty good at getting overwhelmed to the point of disorganization. Sometimes it feels like there are so many things coming at you that you should do, could do, might do, want to do, that you have no idea where to start.  So you flip around from one thing to the other, scurrying around with half finished projects. Before you know it, your head is caught in a mousetrap. You were so distracted by that huge piece of cheese that you missed, all the great pieces of food along the way as well as the gigantic steel and wood structure the cheese was precariously balanced on! It's as though we get so distracted by what we think the big picture might be that we miss the obvious clues and the details along the way. Not many mice actually get caught in the trap.  They are much more aware of the details to fall for that foolishness. It's humans that are always trying to "build a better mousetrap". We keep missing the point.

When my horoscope mentioned mice, it was to warn about infestation concerns.  This too, in my opinion,  is the sense of being overwhelmed.  When we see a mouse, according to my horoscope, we are inclined to believe that signals a whole whack of mice and we suddenly become very concerned that the problem is so much bigger than it looks. In our "humanness" we think all problems need our solutions and our energies I guess. We forget that in fact, the mice were no doubt there all along and not giving us huge problems. Once we see that little glimpse of a fuzzy butt problem, we decide we need to eradicate the entire problem and we become so obsessed with how big the problem might be that the solution becomes elusive.  We worry about the infestation, rather than focusing on the detail in front of us-  one fuzzy butt. We actually forget that one mouse is a manageable problem and become paralyzed with the thought that many mice might require an entire kitchen make-over, or a house move! Way overwhelming...

So instead of worrying about the infestation, I'll take a look at the one fuzzy butt. I'll consider the spirit of fuzzy butt Mouse and think about the things in my life that really don't fit any more and might be contributing to a sense of being overwhelmed. Instead of making the problem bigger, I'll consider my strengths and limitations in an honest and non-judgemental way. I just might be missing the obvious detail that there are lots of people around me that have strengths and abilities to complement my own. They might even be willing to help! Maybe there are still some boundary issues here.  Maybe when we are overwhelmed to the point of disorganization, and unproductively, we need to think about how tight we have built our boundaries. Hmm...

For now at least, I think I'll decide that spirit sent me one mouse to get the message across.  Maybe because I wasn't really paying attention, spirit sent a couple. But I'm listening now.  I am going to consider all the plentiful opportunities and resources available to me, focus on the task at hand and look at what is obvious and right in front of me.

"Message received, mouse you can move on"....I've got work to focus on.

Friday, August 10, 2012

Meteor Shows and a Chance to Reset

I grew up with, what I now realize to be, a pretty local expression of "got hit upside the head". When you grow up with slang expressions like that you sort of understand the general meaning of the phrase without thinking a lot about it. Then you move somewhere else, mention it sometime and realize the other person has no idea of its meaning, hear it again, or go to write a blog, and you start to really examine what it might mean. Often there are a lot of individual interpretations of the expression. Frequently  the meaning changes a bit over the years.

The expression probably has some pretty dark roots embedded in family violence and therefore schoolyard violence as well, but it has changed to refer to a less literal meaning of being struck in the head.  When I heard it the other day, it was used to portray that feeling of a having a sudden revelation.  It refers to the moment when  an idea, or a thought, just seems to come out of nowhere and causes you to stop for a minute and suspend all thought.  Your whole world, or certainly your brain, feels scrambled for a moment. You had no time to prepare for the incoming message. It strikes with force and surprise. It changes how you think. Hmm...

"Getting hit upside the head", isn't necessarily a bad thing, although it is shocking for sure. It's the shock of a new idea, a lightening bolt force, an unprepared for attack or force that because of it's impact and speed stops your pattern. You don't have a chance to slow down, to change direction, to brace yourself, adjust your helmet, or consider alternatives. You are stopped. Suddenly and totally. For a brief moment in time you see stars, or darkness, or something in between. You stop thinking. You don't process.

When the stars clear and your vision returns, you "pick yourself up" (another expression that is interesting in that it suggests quite an out of body ability) and carry on. But you don't just go back to what you were doing or where you left on when you get hit upside the head. Something inside you changes and you are often provided with a clarity that allows you to pick a new direction, adopt a totally different behavior, or embrace a new idea. You are changed. After the stop you are re-set.

In the world of Bach Flower essences, Walnut is considered the remedy for change.  It is said to provide protection from change and outside influences.  It's helpful for changes in life such as teething, starting school, puberty,leaving home, menopause, divorce, moving, job changes, or retirement.

But there is another aspect to the Walnut essence. Julian Barnard, in Bach Flower Remedies Form & Function, writes that Dr. Bach developed the Bach essence to protect people from outside influences that were interfering with their soul purpose. He believed those who could benefit from Walnut had definite ideals and ambitions in life but were sometimes tempted away from their goals because of strong opinions or convictions of others. Barnard writes about the remarkable similarity in appearance between the walnut fruit and the human brain. The hard shell looks very much like the human skull and the soft inside of the nut also looks remarkably like the inside of our brains- with two hemispheres connected in the center.

Walnut might be the "hit upside the head" your are looking for that shakes something inside you so that you can find your realignment once again.  It can help you stop what you are doing so that you can start again- fresh and on your own enlightened path.

I guess, just like it takes an external influence to take us away from our goals and inner knowing, it is often an outside influence that helps us re-set so we can get back on track.  That's the force of being "hit upside the head".

Maybe we are getting some universal help with this enlightened that comes from seeing stars.  From tonight, August 10th, till August 16th, we are being treated to a Perseid Meteor shower. It happens every year from mid-July into August but the peak this year will occur over the weekend. We are in a waning moon phase right now so the absence of a strong moon glow enhances the ability to see the streaks of light. The earth is passing through debris from a particular Comet right now and those "comet crumbs" hit the earth's atmosphere and burn up because of the friction encountered in the hit.  We see the burning glow for several seconds and that's what the showers are all about.  As we travel through the comet debris field we kept getting hit and taking glancing blows.l

So it would seem that when the earth gets "hit upside the head" we get the benefit of the light show of stars.  Maybe that's a chance to re-set.  Maybe it's worth your time to stop whatever it is you're doing, lie down in the cool summer grass, star up at the night sky and benefit from the re-set value.  Maybe you'll find your inspiration, your enlightenment, your chance to readjust under the glancing blows of comet debris. Maybe it won't even hurt a bit!

Happy star gazing!

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Book Review: Defending Jacob

A friend recommended William Landay's "Defending Jacob" to me a few weeks ago.  It was on my mind when I took library books back to the bookmobile the other day but it hadn't been available to place on hold. In one of those "must of been meant to be" moments, the woman in front of me brought a copy back in.  I snatched it up and borrowed it.  Seemed too easy.

This is a thick novel but I had to read it quickly.  I had some late nights with it because I just really needed to get the whole mess off my mind!  It's a great book and a difficult book at the same time.  It's a "must read" if you're a parent but I also suggest you "review it with caution" if you're a parent.  It won't be an easy read and it is guaranteed to make you think about some difficult things. It might also open your eyes and open some communication lines.  I personally think it would be a great novel to read with high school students and allow them to review for accuracy of content and get their insights on it. It might be a way to open up lines of collaboration. Hmm...

The novel's main character, Andy Barber, is a long standing district attorney in suburban Massachusetts. Nothing sets  Andy, his wife and son, apart from his neighbours and friends. They live the "typical" life of a happy and successful family with perhaps fewer issues and tribulations than most. When a 14 year old boy is found murdered in the park close to their home, it's yet another crime for Andy to help investigate and bring to trial. Andy and his wife empathize with  the parents of the murdered child. Although not a friend of his son, Andy remembers seeing this child at events as his own son was growing up. They were in the same grade at school , just not in the same "circle". Then Andy's son is charged with the murder and everything changes. Everything.

Suddenly events, reactions, and behaviors that seemed normal, typical, and "every day" seem as though they just might not be. And yet... we're not sure.

This story really made me think.  And it made me think about things I would rather not. It made me pull my head out of the sand a bit and realize that no matter how well we think we understand the lives our teenagers are going through, we just don't. We really don't know. We really don't understand.

We measure the lives of our children from our own experiences.  We compare and contrast. We remember what it's like to be bullied or to be a bully, to struggle to fit in, to be popular. We remember wanting things we didn't have, and having things we didn't want, and we think we have "been there done that".  All parents have been teenagers and have lived through developmental issues.  But we have not lived in the same world that our children do.  Nor, do our children live in the same world we did. Some of the rules of the game are the same. Some are totally different. And without question, the playing field is not the same.

I think we spend a lot of time comparing.  We argue about whether kids today have life easier or more difficult than we did. They do. They have life easier in some ways and more difficult in others and it isn't about keeping score. It isn't meant to be a competition between the generations. It is supposed to be a process of evolving.

In my perfect world, we would combine the wisdom of having "been through similar events and development" with an accurate assessment of the present situation. That would mean parents could bring wisdom IF we could hear, and listen to, what the playing field looks like. That assessment of reality would come from those living it- the teenagers. Solutions wouldn't come from one side or the other.  They would be collaborative in nature. A perfect world.. not necessarily a realistic world...

In his novel, Landay brings forward the issues around technology today. I think most parents know we're a little "out of our league" on this one.  Raise your hand if you started a Face Book page so you could "check up" on your kids and then got lost in the overwhelming amount of information and stopped checking, or never really did check in the first place, or turned it in to your own friend device and got recoonected with others in a cool way and sort of forgot about the kid stuff.  But you felt like you were an involved parent because you told them you had an account and could see what they posted, you limited their time spent there (you thought you did) and anyway, your child seems to be doing "just fine". You can put your hand down now....

On some level, parents know when they are being manipulated.  We have "been there done that", that's why we recognize when we are being manipulated in return.  I can still see one of my teenage friends displaying a wine skin over her sweater when we got "caught" going to the hockey game.  She pranced and preened in front of her mother and explained how this was all part of the coolest fashion statement to go with the "Icelandic feel" of the sweater. Geez didn't she have any fashion sense? Anyone that was cool was wearing one. We thought we were so smart to have "pulled the wool over her mother's eyes". She didn't even open the cork to discover the wine skin was, of course,  filled with wine.  Adults are just not that smart!  Now, with the wisdom of my years, I know my friend's mother wasn't dumb. She was tired. She was trying to "pick her battles" and allow some freedom and hope for the best. She wanted to trust us and believe that we were ready and could make good decisions. She loved us and ultimately believed we were "good kids".

Andy Barber loves his son.  He trusts him. He believes he's a "good kid". He believes he is innocent, or at least he decides to believe he is innocent, because he loves him.  He is tired. And when you're tired, there is a fine line between letting go and giving up.  http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2010/12/letting-go-vs-giving-up-lessons-learned.html Maybe there always is.  Maybe that's the line both parents and their teenagers are struggling to define. When do we let go and how do we not give up.

I believe in the power of the written word.  I believe William Landay's novel is powerful. For a couple of days, I could feel Andy Barber's emotions. I could test those waters just a wee bit.  I walked around with him a bit. Maybe I could adjust my own belief system just a bit. Maybe I consider how I parent. Maybe I can feel the emotions of being a teenager in today's world just a bit.  Perhaps I have an increased knowledge of what teenagers are facing in today's world. Maybe I understand some other uses of technlogy. Hmm..

I didn't want to spend a lot of time in those waters. That's why I read this book so fast.  It wasn't a comfortable place and I was glad to get out of there.  But I appreciate the glimpse.  It made me feel.  It made me think. It strengthen my resolve to "let go" and not "give up".






Monday, August 6, 2012

Inner Knowing Revealed: Fifth Dimension?

In my opinion, "inner knowing" has almost become a buzz word in the past couple of years.  A lot of people talk about this. I've written about it a lot in my blog postings.  It's the true embodiment of the Bach flower essence Cerato http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2010/12/best-advice-your-inner-knowing.html when you are connected with, and trust, your inner knowing.  Lots of spiritual advisers try to teach people to connect with their inner knowing. I think for many it's found in meditation. When you connect with your inner knowing, life runs really smoothly. It's a very peaceful place.  You find yourself in exactly the right place at the right time and things just seem to flow with no effort.  You suddenly find as many cheques in the mails as you do bills.  You don't win the lottery, because it's not about excess or hoarding, but you find exactly what you "need" which is not always the same thing as what you think you might "want". When operating at this level you stay home for a couple of minutes longer and you miss a big pile-up on the highway, or the phone rings and you have a very important conversation. Good things seem to come to you without effort and bad things seem to stay away from you.  It's kind of like being in that hammock on the dessert Island.  Life doesn't seem to take any effort. There is no struggle.

I was thinking about inner knowing on the weekend during a long car drive by myself.  I turn the radio off on long drives, don't plug in any music or distractions and just have a "good think". So my thoughts about inner knowing turned to a whole scenario development.  It occurred to me to wonder what would happen if "the shift" that is also  a buzz word, or that entry into a fifth dimension that is being discussed on some levels, the 2012 phenomenum, is actually a collective move towards everyone finding and staying with their inner knowing.  Maybe we get some polar magnetic realignment, a bit of a tweaking to our atmosphere from solar flares or something, an influx of energy bolts, a cosmic boom, and suddenly you only "operate" within your inner knowing- everyone. Hmm...

So what would that look like?  Well.. there would suddenly be no need for any advisers or consultants.  You wouldn't need anyone else to tell you how to invest your money, look after your health, achieve knowledge, build a better widget. It seems like even the spiritual advisers would have this brief moment of "ah ha they were right" but then would be "out of work".  You wouldn't need anyone to advise you on anything because you would know everything you needed to know for you.  You have your own internal operating manual and you don't need that read to you because you understand it yourself. Everything is clear and obvious and requires no intepretation from anyone else.

When you find your inner knowing, your ego is lost, gone, kaput. And so much of what we do in a day and so many structures on which we have build our world are based on ego, that a lot of things just melt away in my scenario.

No more competition- of any kind.  If you are the fastest person in the world you know it, we all know it, there's no reason to prove it. No point in watching competitive sports- we all know who's going to win and what's going to happen. If you love to run for the pure enjoyment of the feeling, I think you'll still run, but you won't run against anyone else or be paid to be the best runner.  Same thing with big business sports. If you like to play the game for the sheer fun of "doing" it - you will, but it doesn't seem to me like competition will survive.

In fact, marketing won't survive in my scenario.  No one  can or would even bother trying to sell me something because it's the "best product", "perfect for me", "life altering", 'tastes the best", "rejuvenates". I would know what is right for me and where and how to find it, so marketing campaigns would be totally useless.  No one can any longer tell anyone a lie or an exaggeration of fact. No one needs to tell anyone else anything in fact. No more T.V. commercials. No more billboards. No more "sponsorship".

All that "information highway" stuff that has suddenly quite magically appeared via Internet and a variety of technology... gone. I don't need to surf the net to get answers to anything, I just have to surf my brain.  In fact, I don't have to "surf" at all, I just allow the flow and there aren't any questions.  Oh boy.. we're getting deep here and I'm only halfway to my destination...

The idea of this "Inner Knowing Dimension" started to get a bit scary.  At first it was sounding good. I could just chill out and relax in the hammock not worrying about anything.  But what would I "do" my ego asked? No one needs any advice from me so no more consulting... on anything.  No one needs any healing because everyone has realized they can heal from within without anything or anyone else, and that applies to animals too. Kids don't need to be "taught" anything, we've finally realized they came with everything they needed. Hmm...

Well, I have that potato patch http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/05/buried-potatoes-and-other-treasures.html Maybe I need to grow more "stuff".  I'm going to need to be pretty self-sufficient if I don't have any income because no one needs anything from me. But wait a minute, I'll know where to get food. I'll know what I need. In fact, no question about it, if I listen to my inner knowing I'm pretty sure I'll need to eat a whole lot less!!  Maybe I don't "need" to eat that giant bag of chips to get my sodium requirement or the tub of ice-cream for calcium . Maybe that marketing campaign was a "little off" in the first place. I guess I will realize I have everything I "need" all around me. Whew...

I think I would still like to take a book to my hammock. But I don't think it would be non-fiction.  I don't need to know anything that I don't already.  But I think I would just like to meet some fun characters and enjoy playing around in that alternate dimension.  I think I might still write. I won't write any non-fiction because there is nothing anyone else wants to be told- no market.  But I think I'll have fun creating some characters for myself and spinning some tales. I think my writing might feel "freer".

What if I get bored out there in my hammock alone with my inner knowing. Oh oh!  But wait, I guess I'll have the sudden idea that one of my family members or friends is looking for some non-confrontational, non-competitive fun too. I'll know where they are, and we'll just end up in the same place, with the same idea in mind. I guess one of us will know to bring coffee.. or not...

Round about now, I realized I didn't have a summary or an ending for this post. I guess I arrived at my destination. But in the spirit of my inner knowing and my scenario, I realize that doesn't matter. I'm just writing this for the fun of it, not to inform, or to be judged or to convince anyone else of anything.  Ahhh... I swing my hammock back and forth.. welcome to my scenario if it feels right.. or go create your own...


Thursday, August 2, 2012

Lammas; Celebrating Global Abundance

Well, we made it through the Full Moon- whew!  Felt like a rather intense one. Emotions were strong in my part of the world, but I personally believe the Full Moon cycle brings a release of that "stuff" as we move through the phase. 

As if there wasn't enough going on with the Full Moon in Aquarius and a Blue Moon and a ton of energy, it turns out, starting at sunset last night through to sunset tonight, it is Lammas.

I got today's picture from a blog posting that explains Lammas in detail  http://spiritblogger.wordpress.com/2010/08/02/spirit-message-of-the-day-celebrate-pre-harvest-lammas-2010/  In a nutshell, Lammas is a Pagan ritual intended to celebrate the beginning of harvest.

We'Moon 2012 explains Lammas as being a time to not only celebrate your own harvest, but also as a time to be aware of others who might not have as much abundance. It is described as a time to care for the earth and all that are in it.  That makes sense during this Aquarius Full Moon type energy . http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/08/full-moon-in-aquarious.html It isn't just "all about me", it's also about "me sharing with the world", which really in fact is, "all about me"!

Tasa Wolfstar, as written in We'Moon 2012, describes a Lammas dance which involves the Mothers of the Four Directions; sun mother, moon mother, earth mother, and queen.  She says each mother steps forward in the dance and the other three bow to her as queen. In the moment of being queen, that mother draws the power of transformation, the power of filing and sustaining self for the seasons to come. As each steps out of the circle another moves in and in this way the world is flooded with abundance.

In my opinion, that's a theme of flow.  It's about drawing in transformative power and filing yourself.  But it isn't about holding that power within. It never seems to be about holding.  It's about releasing that power outside of yourself so the flow can continue both within and without.  That's the balancing nature of energy.

It isn't always easy to let go of that power. When you feel filled with power, there can be a tendency to hold on to it, saving it for a really tough time maybe. I think it might also tend to be "human nature" that in the moment you feel that internal power and have the desire to share it, you might just lean a bit to a manipulative, self-centered, sharing. Giving can be a bit domineering and it may be hard to give without expecting something in return. After all, that's what we have built an entire monetary system on.  If I give you money, you give me something of equal value and vice versa.  We have great expectations based on giving and receiving and that really isn't the same thing as flow.

This time of "abundance meant to be shared" celebration, might be enhanced with a few drops of the Bach Flower Chicory. Chicory is one of those Bach Flowers that is sometimes hard to describe in a positive way. It's indicated when you feel possessive or over-protective.  Most people are unaware they are feeling this, or expressing this, when they are in the moment.  It's often indicated for parents that are demanding constant attention and service from their children (particularly once the children become adults). It's for the parent that feels they are not properly rewarded for all the things they have done. When in a Chicory state you see service to others as a "duty". And a duty that should have some "pay back".

Chicory can help you offer genuine maternal love and I think that's actually the spirit of Lammas. It's about flowing the abundance that was given to you by the earth, a higher power, whatever you believe in, right back out to others without expecting anything in return.  When you don't expect something from the person you give to, you actually receive more abundance from source itself.  When balanced, the Chicory person doesn't need thanks and accolades from those to whom they serve.  In the balanced Chicory state you already feel self-assured and filled- all on your own.

According to the Pagan tradition, Lammas was celebrated by making bread from the first wheat harvested on this day. The grain was harvested, the bread was made, and then the loaf was shared in celebration with others.

So.. today would be a good day to make bread I guess.  Hmm... that's a lot of work me thinks. And in my part of the world, the humidity is high, it promises to get pretty hot, and I'm just not sure I really want to be baking bread in that.  If baking bread sounds like a fun adventure to you- I bow in your honor.  But...

I have been "increasing my personal power" lately, by dabbling in essential oils and Aromatherapy techniques.  It just so happens, Cardamon is very useful as an essential oil. It can help balance mental fatigue and is a reminder of abundance.  It helps combat the internal feeling of "lack" and increases your generosity. Well.. that sounds like the perfect oil to use during a Lammas celebration!  So you could diffuse some Cardamon in your house today, or mix it with bath salts and have a luxurious balancing bath of abundance. Or...

In Sweet Shack & Bach Bar, http://www.brylerpublications.com/books/fiction/sweet-shack-and-bach-bar Wise Woman served Vanilla Cardamon pudding to Lola.  Both Cardamon and Vanilla resonate with the Second Chakra and you just can't beat how good this pudding tastes or how good it smells while cooking. http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2010/12/chakra-foods-for-sacral-chakra.html It's easy to make, doesn't require much heat or time, doesn't involve a lot of other ingredients, and makes enough to share! The recipe is included in the book. Merlin is a bit addicted.

Happy Lammas. Enjoy the abundance and share the flow!

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Full Moon in Aquarious

According to We'Moon 2012, today begins a Full Moon in Aquarius.  I wrote about this particular full moon before http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2011/08/full-moon-intensity-staying-true-to.html .  There is an energy with this moon that propels us to be part of a collective. It's energy of collaboration and collectivity. According to We'Moon this would be a good time to network with others, and consider the global perspective. It's also a time to review and live our philosophy. It time to consider our dogmas as I wrote about last year and evaluate whether or not we want to change our views. I guess this energy is about knowing who you are and maintaining that sense of self in a crowd.  Perhaps it's even about understanding how your uniqueness can be of value to the tribe or the collective. Hmm...

In Shamanic Astrology, Lucy Harmer writes the Spirit Animal that corresponds to the Western Astrology sign Aquarius, is the Otter. Otters are pretty happy and amusing creatures, but there is also a  grounded depth to them. "Otter people" value their creativity and freedom but they are always happy to make sacrifices for the good of the community or for humanitarian ideals. Otters are full of original ideas that need to be expressed.

Steven Farmer in, Animal Spirit Guides writes that if an Otter shows up it's time to be more playful, spontaneous and creative. Farmer suggests you call on Otter when you find yourself worrying obsessively or picturing all kinds of catastrophic outcomes. Considering the Aquarius Energy of the Full Moon, I guess we can say the Otter has "shown up"! 

There is a lot going on this month and some of it seems a bit contradictory. We are supposed to lighten up, but we are also encouraged to consider our beliefs and figure out what really drives us.  We are to focus on family, the collective, and global concerns at the same time that we consider our unique attributes and talents.

Perhaps it's a good thing that this month marks a "Blue Moon".  A Blue Moon means we will have two Full Moons in the same month. The Moon is full going in to the month (on the first day which seems significant) and it will be full going out of August on the 31st.  That means a lot of energy and a pretty fast pace of change and movement. A chance to really get things happening  by enjoying nature's energy. It's technically the second moon of the month that is really the "blue moon", but I thought today's picture was worth sharing today as we enter the month.  According to the NASA website http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2004/07jul_bluemoon/ , Kostian Iftica took this picture on July 2nd when he photographed this full moon rising over Brighton, Mass.  He used a blue filter to create the picture, the moon wasn't "really" that blue,  but that might be a nice mix of individual creativity combined with ancient tradition I think. I like that.

I also believe that's the message for the month.  I think it's about finding your uniqueness, grounding it in the traditions and wisdom of your inner self,  and communicating that combination to the greater group. In my earlier Full Moon in Aquarius posting I talked about the Bach Flower Cerato.  It's helpful when you could use some support to find and more-over, to trust, that inner knowing and  uniqueness.  But I believe, having found that and trusting that sense of self, you owe it to the collective to bring it forward. It's time to stand up and speak your truth. You don't have to yell it from the mountain top.  You don't need to convince anyone else that it's their truth. But maybe you owe it to yourself to share, and in doing so, expand from within while you contribute to source at the same time. Hmm...

The Blue Moon may be particularly helpful with this.  Blue is the color that resonates with the throat or 5th Chakra. Blue helps us communicate our truth. In Sweet Shack & Bach Bar, http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/02/sweet-shack-bach-bar-book-review-from.html Merlin gave Rachael a blue scarf to wear around her throat. Wise Woman gave her Cerato, Mimluus, and Agrimony- all Bach Flowers that can help balance the throat chakra.

It would seem like the universe, in this month of Blue Moons, and under the guidance of the Moon in Aquarius, is encouraging us to speak our truth in a light hearted, non confrontational, but secure way. It's time to let go of the fear of getting kicked out of the tribe  http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/07/alone-vs-abandoned-bach-flowers-for-both.html and go play with Otters that are fun to be around. Share what you know, communicate what you think, and enjoy the fun of just being you; alone in the crowd!

Party on!