Full Moon in Virgo: Creating the Plan




Cartoon from : http://2012.igem.org/Team:Colorado_State

 Have you been feeling a little dramatic lately?  A little intense in your emotions?  There is relief in sight.  It's found under tonight's Full Moon in Virgo. So much power builds in the lead up to the full moon. If you can, at some level, feel that power building but don't quite have a sense as to what it's building for, you can be left feeling a bit "out of sorts" or "out of whack", maybe even, downright wacky! To me, it  feels like "restless anticipation", an energy without an outlet or a clear outcome. Once we hit the peak of the full moon, that building power comes to it's maturity and feels a little more settled.

If you're the type of person that likes to have a new project, or is a bit of a planner by nature, today's full moon might feel particularly intense. It's a Full Moon in Virgo according to my We'Moon 2013 calender- an excellent source for all things "moon like". www.wemoon.ws

I've written about the Full Moon in Virgo before http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/03/full-moon-in-virgo.html  Last year it was even more dramatic as it was combined with solar flares and some mercury retrograde stuff as well.  But, by it's very nature, the Full Moon in Virgo is intense. This is not gentle energy or a soft encouragement type of sensation. This is real "get a movin", push towards the goal, type energy under the light of this moon. During the Full Moon phase, we're at that peak.

You can use this power to really get things done.  It's a great time to cleanse, organize, de-clutter, or problem solve. Those born under a Virgo moon, according to We'Moon, are here to learn, diagnose and heal.  That's the type of energy out there. That's all very positive if you have a plan, have a goal, know where you're headed. Hmm...

But what if you feel like that little guy in today's picture, but you just don't "get" what the big guy is saying?  You don't understand the plan. The goals are a bit fuzzy. You're all ready with your de-cluttered desk, you brand new school supplies and your newly sharpened crayons but you 're missing the instructions of what to create? Ahh..  "out of sorts" and "restless anticipation" me thinks...

The challenge for those born under a Virgo moon, and for all of us when this energy is "afloat", is to find the balance between work and play; plans and creative thought. It can be a struggle to let go of what every else thinks you should do/could do and find what gives you joy.  Perhaps it's time to reconsider today's picture and instead of thinking of yourself as the little guy trying to figure out what the big guy is saying, maybe it's time to consider what the little guy, your inner child, wants to tell the grown up you. If you want to get "un-stuck" in your thinking, perhaps the best place to go is within.  From that place of inner knowing and child-like abandon, truly great ideas for creation can be found.

In Lucy Harmer's Shamanic Astrology, http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/07/book-review-shamanic-astrology.html  the animal represented by this time in the Northern Hemisphere is the Wolf. In the Southern Hemisphere it is the Brown Bear that corresponds to this time of year. Both of these animals spirits are challenged to go beyond the material and find balance between material, physical, emotional and spiritual. They need to go beyond hard-working, focused planning, to reach inner knowing. Once they follow their intuition and creativity they will have enormous strength and endurance to carry through with the plan.

So perhaps it's about merging that "big guy" and "little guy" into one and the same.  But I think we often tend to listen to the "big guy" first and "pencil in" time to play with our inner selves, our joy and our creativity.  I believe with the power of a "get at it" moon, there may be a danger you'll never get to the "play" part of your plan. It would seem, the lesson is, to go there first.  Perhaps all our plans should be drawn with crayons.

I was searching for a cartoon picture of blueprints when I found today's picture. It just so happens this picture was on the website created by a Colorado State University Project.  It's worth a look. http://2012.igem.org/TeamColorado_State/Project.  This team was developed to create a gluten-free beer brewing process. That strikes me as the ultimate balance been work and play, creativity and planning, material and spiritual flow. If you're a university student and you need to create a project you can really get excited about, it would seem beer brewing in a new way, to hit a growing market, would exactly do the trick!  I applaud their efforts.  Most of all, I applaud what I see as "the big guy and the little guy" working together to create something bigger and more fun that the sum of the parts.

Cheers and Happy Brewing!

Survivor Remedy

Purchase Survivor Remedy at www.pixiedusthealing.com

I don't think we are living in a particular easy phase of evolution. There seems to be a lot of pain and suffering everywhere.  I see it happening on International, National, Regional, Local Community and at the Family and Friends levels. We all do.

I grew up hearing the saying, "There but by the grace of God go I".  I heard this expression a couple of times in the past week and it gave me pause to consider it again. In my part of the world, this expression is so common you sometimes don't even think about it's meaning.  In fact, it has been taken to mean quite a few slightly different things.  It's something you say to suspend judgement on someone. It's meant to mean that you don't know what you might have done if given the same circumstances. You can't imagine how they are feeling and yet you keep imagining. It's usually mean as almost a prayer of thankfulness that you were spared something.  It's the sense of being lucky at the same time as you feel for those who haven't had it as good as you. I think, it's an old saying for what we now to call "survivor's guilt". 

Survivor's guilt is a very complex array of emotions.  It's common language in crisis and stress management. We recognize it as a "thing" people experience when they see others involved in crisis and drama for which they have escaped. It's very common in rescuers and can be part of a post traumatic stress syndrome. I've written about it before http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/06/survivor-guilt-vagus-nerve-and-bach.html It's generally accepted that the more "connected" you are to a victim, the greater your sense of survivor guilt. But what it takes to make that connection is extremely individual in nature and is not necessarily related to geographical or genetic connections.  It may be that Vagus Nerve connection. As the ripple effect of our consciousness spreads, I believe we will experience more and more survivor guilt. Whenever one of us sufferers, the rest of us feel that angst but in a slightly different way.

Dr. Bach created one combination remedy.  It's called Crisis remedy and trademarked by Nelson's the distributor of Bach Flower essences, as Rescue Remedy. It is the essence to consider for victims of crisis, trauma or drama.  It contains the five individual essences of Star of Bethlehem, Cherry Plum, Rock Rose, Clematis, and Impatiens.  It soothes and settles people under stress and provides the calming relief so they can think their way through situations.  I highly recommend it for trauma.  I sometimes wish we could pipe Rescue Remedy through the ventilation systems of schools and office buildings.  I think there are entire communities right now that could benefit from Crisis Remedy as a free mail-out give-away.  Hm....

But, it occurs to me, that for every person that could benefit from Crisis Remedy, there is at least one person that perhaps could benefit from a slightly different combination remedy I'm calling Survivor Remedy.   This remedy is for those who, to some degree feel "untouched or on the periphery", "lucky to be uninvolved" or "but by the grace of god go they".  Depending on which side of the life preserver you are on, you may need a slightly different remedy. If you're the one throwing the preserver, or are once, twice, or further removed from the situation but still impacted, I'm suggesting Survivor Remedy may be a good match for re-balancing.  My combination Survivor Remedy will have essences from the same categories as Rescue but slightly different effects. Survivor Remedy includes; Red Chestnut, Aspen, Water Violet, Pine, and Mustard.

Red Chestnut is a prime ingredient in Survivor Remedy.  Red Chestnut is within the category of fear and fear plays a factor in survivor pain. When we hear of crisis events, and are touched by survivor guilt, our deepest vulnerabilities open up.  For most people, that means we worry about our loved ones.  "What if that happened to someone I loved"? "How would I possibly survive?"  By it's very nature, survivor guilt is focused on others and once that vibration becomes opened up your vulnerability extends. You don't fear so much a similar event happening to you, you worry that it could happen to your family or friends because that feels like a more tragic point for you than personal survival.  When you feel a connection to someone else's angst, you experience a "tribal sense" and you immediately feel the treat to your own "tribe" whomever that might be.  In this Red Chestnut state you create the worst case scenarios in your head and may become fearful to even let loved ones out of your sight. If you find yourself trying to check-in and connect with everyone you love just to make sure they are okay- you're likely in a Red Chestnut state. Red Chestnut will help you relax your hold on your tribe. It will help you put your personal circumstances into perspective so you can care with compassion but not anxiety.

Aspen is also included in Survivor Remedy.  Like Red Chestnut, Aspen is included within Dr. Bach's category of fear. Aspen helps to balance unknown fear.  If you've connected for some reason and in some way to an event that you are by all outward appearances actually pretty removed from, you've really "picked up" a vibration that although it feels very real, at the same time is unclear it's it origin.  You may feel suddenly anxious, a panic attack type sensation and there is no obvious cause for this sensation. That's the Aspen state. You feel highly anxious and worried but unlike Red Chestnut, you can't even identify the worries enough to run them into a scenario.  Aspen helps release you from that "free floating anxiety connection".  It helps you to find that inner state of peace and can realize this is not your "stuff".

Water Violet is included in Survivor Remedy. It replaces the Impatiens essence that is included in Rescue Remedy.  Both these essences are within the category of Loneliness.  When you're immediately involved in an emergency you can develop "tunnel vision". You only see what's directly in front of you and you tend to isolate yourself from those wanting to help because you think  you are the only one that can do it right- the only one that sees the problem.  When you're a bit removed from the action of the event in a survivor capacity, you may find you want to isolate yourself because the world feels too scary, uncertain and painful. It's easy to remove yourself from others so you don't have to feel the pain the take it on. While "staying in the cave" may keep you away from the angst going on in the world, it may also keep you away from the good going on in the world. You may find yourself isolated from the company and companionship of your tribal community. Water Violet will help you get out there and find good vibrations to connect with. It can help you develop warmer, happier relationships so you can use your sense of empathy in a positive way.

Pine is the Bach Flower indicated for the state of guilt and for that reason is included in Survivor Remedy.  In my earlier post  http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/06/survivor-guilt-vagus-nerve-and-bach.htmlI explained how Pine could help you let go of the feeling that you are somehow to blame for everything that causes others pain. Dr. Bach included Star of Bethlehem from the category of Despair and Despondency,  in Rescue Remedy.  In Survivor Remedy I've replaced that with Pine, from the same category. Star of Bethlehem helps to balance the after-effects of trauma or shock. Pine helps to allow yourself to be removed from the shock and trauma in the first place. It' the "let go" and "let be" remedy.

The final essence in Survivor Remedy is Mustard. Dr. Bach gave Rescue Remedy to a sailor that had managed to drag himself to shore in pretty rough shape. Clematis was part of the remedy to prevent the victim from slipping into a state of unconsciousness, that dream-like state where the world feels better. Clematis in included in the category of Insufficient Interest in the World.  In Survivor Remedy it is replaced with Mustard from the same category. Although they are in the same category and both suggest that disconnection with the present, to me they are almost opposites. Rather than being connected to a dreamy place, Mustard is indicated when you are connected to a gloomy place.  Mustard helps address that "sense of impending doom" that can overtake those experiencing survival guilt. The Mustard state is similar to Aspen in that the origin of this state appears unknown, or without cause, but instead of the fear that Aspen helps balances, Mustard helps to life that sense of depression. In the Mustard state you feel a connection to the "dark side" and the remedy can help you return to the peaceful, joyful life you have been given. 

One of the greatest dangers of connecting with Survival Guilt in my opinion, is that once connected to that vibration you become that vibration.  You will find a fear that you can name and identify with if you focus long enough.  Your worry for your tribe will be manifested in some way.  You will convince yourself that you are to blame and eventually others will believe that as well.  Your sense of impending doom with turn into a deep-seated depression and the very angst that pulled you in the first place.  But it doesn't have to be that way. 

Once again, the lesson I believe is about shinning our light into the shadows, not crawling into the cave of darkness.  So rather than be pulled into that vibration of angst and pain, you do say thanks that "by the grace of god that isn't your journey".  You find your inner light, your inner peace and happiness and by doing so you may find you pull a victim or too into your beam of your light so they too can find the relief and happiness of peace once again.

Namaste!

Animals Signs: Sheep for Restful Sleep?

Who came up with that iconic idea of counting sheep as a way to get to sleep I wonder.  Does that actually work for anyone?  Not me. 

Maybe it was left over Asteroid ripple disturbances http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2013/02/asteroids-hit-and-a-miss.html, maybe it was wind and stormy weather and all kinds of angst being played out all over the world., but it felt to me the other night like "something was a foot". And that "something" was keeping me awake or at least waking me up a number of times with disturbing thoughts.

There are lots of Bach Flower remedies that can help you sleep better. I've written about some of the common ones before http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/01/bach-flower-essences-to-help-kids-sleep.html.  You can buy the combination remedy Rescue Remedy Sleep as well.  Any of these essences can be very helpful if you can't pinpoint the reason why you're not sleeping.

In fact, any and all of the 38 essences might be helpful to you when you can't sleep. It is common for our emotions to keep us awake so whatever emotion you are "off-balance" in, that essence could be what you need.  Red Chestnut for instance can be helpful if you are worried about someone to the point that you lay there at night thinking of the worst thing that might happen.  Agrimony might help you sleep if the reason you're awake is because you really haven't expressed yourself to the degree you want to and you're re-living a "do over".  Pick an essence, any essence, and there is a case to be made for how it might help you sleep.  That's good news.  It means that once you get your emotions in balance you might also benefit from a good sleep.  It can also be bad news, because it opens up the possibility that you can't choose between the essences and that alone is keeping you up!! Hmm..

And what if, as was the case for me the other night, each one of those cute little bounding white sheep that you're supposed to be counting is wearing a different emotion.  And what if all those sheep are starting to look pretty black, are running pretty fast and in multiple directions. And where are all these sheep coming from anyway!!!Hmm...

I believe it's possible that the energetic vibrations of negative emotions "float around out there in the universe".  As we open up to empathic sensations and feel part of a collective, it would seem we have the potential to feel these negative vibrations as well.  And maybe when you're lying there in the dark, these negative vibrations start to take on the "sheep shapes" and each one of them is wearing a coat of a different emotion; like worry, fear, guilt, impatience, irritation, rigidity etc. etc.  I think when those sheep first appear they really might not be "your stuff".  But we like to name our pets.  So when that "worry sheep" comes bounding along to be counted, you give him a name.  The name is whatever resonates for you as worry.  It's the "thing", a measurable event that for you, matches that vibration level.  Now you're worrying for a known reason. More definable and understandable perhaps, but not really an improvment in my opinion.
Because, before you can get out of bed and reach for Red Chestnut perhaps, another sheep comes bounding in to be counted and this guy feels like guilt.  So you name him as well.  You give him the name for whatever causes you the most guilt. 

And the sheep keep coming.. I've lost count....

So what is it about sheep I wonder in my sleepless state?  Neither Steven Farmer or Danial Mapel, my "go to animal spirit" guys include sheep in their books. Nor is sheep included in Lucy Harmer's Shamanic Astrology review.  Maybe we're not seeing so much power in these guys?

I did find some on-line mentions to sheep as a spirit animal. At Spirit animals and Animal Totems,  www.spiritanimal.info/sheep-spirit-animal I found an interesting description.  Turns out sheep may represent an innocent part of yourself. It also may indicate a vulnerability in a negative way, a sense of weakness, powerlessness. It seems the appearance of sheep in dreams may suggest feelings of vulnerability and powerlessness to face a difficult situation. Hmm... now I might be getting somewhere.

So it would seem to me that "in the dead of night" when the lights are out and all is quiet, we might all feel a sense of vulnerability. Perhaps that's why those negative vibrations can take hold. And once they take hold we bring them into our being and they become a legitimate part of ourselves, perhaps keep us up and stay with us during the day. 

But wait a minute.  If I'm counting sheep and they're bouncing around all over the place, does that make me a Shepard?  Does that mean I have the power and control?  Another interpretation of the sheep totem is that there is a part of yourself that tends to conform to social norms or family values.  Sheep tend to be herded together- that's the job of the Shepard- to keep all those sheep together as a collective.

But if you've been following along with this blog at all, you know by now I don't like to "follow the rules". And as far as sheep, or any other animal goes, I'm more of a "free-range person". So, I decided to let the sheep free.  No more counting, no more herding, no more collection.  I think those sheep are probably better off finding their own green pasture. I don't want to handle all that sheep manure anyway.

So, rather than count the sheep, or even try to transform them into positive vibrations, I let them go.  I did that by bringing light to my shadow.  http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2013/01/full-moon-in-leo-time-to-air-your-shadow.html I think if there are sheep running around at night then I'll just turn on my inner light, my inner power, my knowing, and I'll bring that light into the earth and let the sheep find their own way out of the dark. 

The Violet Flame can help protect you from sheep run amok http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2010/09/violet-flame.html.  And if you're feeling like negative emotions are finding their way to you either in the day or at night, you can invoke the Violet Flame for protection. That can be a good sleep aid as well. But maybe it's time for us to do something more. The Violet Flame is a method to "connect" with higher powers of protection.  But what if we can be the power.

What if during vulnerable times when lots of negative emotions are swirling around, we connect with our higher selves and bring that light into the darkness of earth.  Instead of "running away" to a more comfortable dimension of Violet Flame, we become the light bearer and bring the flame to earth. You don't have to count the sheep, Shepard the sheep, name the sheep, or even face the sheep.  You just find your lightness and bring that lightness to the world. 

If you do that, you might just find that one very cute and cuddly lamb snuggles up with you in your flashlight beam, warms your heart, feels like s a friend and reminds you of that favorite stuff animal you had as a kid that helped you feel safe and secure.  Perfect in your own emotions.. 

Pleasant dreams.

Asteroids: A Hit and a A Miss

On February 15th two Asteroids "made the headlines".  The first one hit the earth over a fairly populated area in Russia.  It must have been quite terrifying.  People describe it as a sudden ball of light followed by a huge sonic boom.  You can watch the event from numerous sources, it's recorded on the space weather website http://spaceweather.com/, a favorite website of mine. This asteroid came flying at us from space.  Apparently the earth's atmosphere is kind of like a brick wall to an asteroid.  The sudden impact crumpled or compressed the hunk of asteroid matter, the compaction caused huge heat and the whole thing exploded, becoming at that point a meteor, and crashed to the earth.  The explosion creates a sonic boom.  It's the waves of disruption in our atmosphere that caused glass to shatter, some roofs and walls to collapse. This particular asteroid was considered small.  It kind of "came out of nowhere". It wasn't large enough to even register as something that space scientists "track". Tell that to the over one thousand people that were injured by it!  And for all those that saw it, considered their world was ending or that they were under attack of some sort, I don't imagine this will remain in their consciousness as a "small event".  I think the Bach Flowers combination Rescue Remedy  http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/03/bach-flowers-for-crisis-events.html , in particular the  Rock Rose and Star of Bethlehem essences  might be very helpful in this post-event situation.

A few hours later, the Asteroid 2012 DA14  passed through the earth's orbit. You can watch a youtube video of this event at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwidzVHvbGI.  This 45 metre wide piece of space rock was much much bigger than the meteor that hit Russia.  It was being tracked by scientists at NASA for quite some time.  They had already measured its path and were able to determine that, although it come very close to earth in science terms (17,200 miles), it wasn't predicted to hit the earth. I imagine that despite all the confident predictions there were still some scientists that went home from work that night, cracked open a cold one, and celebrated their ability to relax. It is being said that this asteroid is now passing away from us without "doing anything".  Okay, that, I'm not quite buying...

To me, saying that a 45 metre wide rock hurtling towards us then moving away, whether or not it's on its predicted orbit , is not quite "doing nothing".  To me, that feels like saying nothing happened in the days after Dec. 21, 2012.  In my opinion, it isn't that nothing happened.  In both instances, it's that we have no instrumentation to measure what might have happened.  Just because you can't measure a thing doesn't mean it isn't there or didn't happen. Just because we couldn't see virus' and bacteria before the discovery of the microscope doesn't mean they weren't there before that.  Nor does it mean they didn't impact us in some way.  We just didn't know what to "blame" for that scratchy throat, that runny nose, that high fever, or that sick stomach.

It seems to me that asteroid must have a bit of a ripple effect in our atmosphere that we might feel for days afterwards.  Sort of like when you throw a big rock into a pond. The actual impact of the rock doesn't seem to do that much, it's the ripples that extend out from it that cause changes on shore. It wasn't the meteor impact that caused the problems in Russia for instance. It was the ripple effect of the changes in the atmosphere.  The "rock" actually hit in a non-populated area it would seem.

I'm not suggesting the asteroid "miss" caused anything bad.  In our humaness we seem to be anxious to measure the "bad things" without attaching as much significance to the good things that "just happen".  I have no ideas or theories on what an asteroid pass might do, but I just can't believe it does "nothing".  And I choose to believe that it's set us up for a bit of a shifting change that might just bring ripples of change and positive interactions and a new pathway for thinking. Why not? It seems like we must, in some way, be affected by that much change to our atmosphere. Maybe we don't have to measure it and understand it all.  Maybe we can just feel some of it instead.

On the day of this asteroid activity, I just happened to be making a batch of colloidal silver. http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2010/11/colloidal-silver-for-colds-flu-infection.html  This wasn't a planned thing, or an experiment of any kind.  I use colloidal silver for all kinds of things and was running low.  I don't make my silver by a lot of rules.  I sort of feel when it's ready. I'm not in the business of selling silver.  If you want precisely measured colloidal silver you can buy it in most health food stores.  My family, friends and pets use my silver without having precise measurement of it's potency because we feel the impact of it working.  Sometimes I get distracted and I forget I'm making silver and go back and find it hours later with some floating parts of suspended silver in it (another reason why I don't sell it commercially!). These pieces ,when they appear, are usually attached to the rods of the generating machine sort of like small black feathers. But at just about exactly the time the 2012 DA14 passed through our orbit, I found today's picture of the pattern of silver floating, not attached to the rods, at the top of my batch of silver and it was this beautiful white/silver color, not black pieces. I'm not saying this is an apparition of some sort. I don't see a face or a person in the pattern. I'm not claiming any wild cosmic message.  I'm not starting a conspiracy theory. I'm just saying this feels good to me. And it feels like some sort of measured evidence that we are bigger than we feel and affected by things we can't see or measure in positive pretty ways. And maybe that asteroid bypass did "something" on some level I have no measurement for.

I don't need my silver floaty explained.  Silver making works on electromagnetic principles so maybe there is an explanation about the ripples in the atmosphere. I'm thinking it might be similar to the idea of Emoto's Water Crystals. Here's a neat youtube of how water crystals change in response to positive emotions- based on Emoto's work http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnbZN54IZNE

It doesn't matter.  It just feels nice.  I'll take it. And I'll also take it as evidence that our measuring devices may not be as accurate as we think they are.  There are lots of "things" influencing our lives in positive ways that we don't have the ability to measure. So I will just sit back and feel positive ripples in our atmosphere as I drink my colloidal silver.

Cheers!

Holly For Valentine's Day

Today is Valentine's Day in my part of the world. I'm not a fan. As it turns out, I seem to have written quite a bit about Valentine's Day and how I feel about it!  Last year I wrote about a number of Bach Flower essences that might help you get through the day if Valentine's Day has you a bit unsettled. http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/02/bach-flowers-for-valentines.html  This post was particularly directed to teenagers because I think they may suffer the most from Valentine's Day hype. I still think these essences apply.

A couple of years ago, I wrote about how I thought teenagers were changing the world, including the perspective on Valentine's Day and I admire them for that. http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2011/02/valentines-day-chocolate-gifts.html  In that post I looked at the origins of Valentine's Day and it's really pretty sketchy to me.

It would seem around 270AD, the Roman Emperor had banned marriages because he thought single fighters were stronger, perhaps more focused fighters.  But a priest, named Valentinus went against the Emperor's orders and secretly married people- many of them very young (hence the teenage angst!). This priest was jailed for his actions and somehow feel in love with the jailer's daughter. That love didn't help him any- at least not on an earthly level as he was executed anyway. The night before he was killed he sent a note to this girl, saying "from your Valentine".  Seriously???? That's what we're celebrating?  It sounds like a story of abuse from the marriage ban in the first place, to poor judgement, bad calls, extreme violence,and perhaps an element of stalking in there!  Perhaps it's time we "let go of the past"??? 270AD and we're still focused on that? Hm...

It does seem people are changing the traditions and what Valentine's Day might mean.  For some, Valentine's Day has become a "stop violence" type symbol.  There is an organization developed called One Billion Rising that is using Valentine's Day to highlight violence against women and children all over the world. http://onebillionrising.org/  There are marches and events planned all over the world today in the name of this cause. 

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about that. I think it's positive change to stand up for something, bring action and awareness. So for that I applaud them. I guess I'm just a little unsettled about how that seems to be creating anger and conflict in the very name of preventing anger and conflict.  If it's a focus on violence against women and children then I guess we're "blaming" men and saying women and children are victims and I don't really like either one of those sides of the equation.  Seems like a Tug of War  http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/03/energetic-tug-of-war.html Although I understand the root cause, I think there could be a more positive spin on change. Maybe that will come with the increased awareness. 

When I look at what happened in 270AD all the way through to what's being organized for 2013, I really just see a lot of anger, angst and hurt. I guess my wish would be to just give the whole world a big dose of the Bach Flower essence Holly today.  I think it might be more positive than cards and paper hearts, roses and candy. It is kind of hard to go wrong with chocolate in my opinion, so maybe what I'll do in my "perfect world" is put Holly inside a square of chocolate like the caramel in the caramilk bar, or instead of those liquor flavored chocolates.  Then I'll just distribute my Holly Chocolates to everyone. Wherever you are, whatever you're feeling, good, bad, or ugly- you get one.  I'll give them out to the bus drivers so they can take one and also give one to every person that gets on a bus.  I'll put one on every single desk in every single school and at every single workplace in the world. Maybe my house elves http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/12/a-game-of-pretend.html can help me with this and put them on everyone's pillow or place at the table or tent or pocket or spot on the grass, or corner of the street that you call your own.  We're talking mass distribution here!  Everyone gets one. Ahh...

As you savor your Holly- filled chocolate you'll feel the positive aspects of Holly. You'll feel generous in your ability to give love without having any demands for return.  You won't want to take someone else's chocolate. It will never cross your mind that their chocolate might be bigger, better, more potent than yours. You'll want to share. You'll feel compassionate. You'll want to really understand the motivations of others and better yet, you'll understand your own motivations.  You will love yourself. You'll truly want to see positive change without considering what's "in it for you". And from that space, positive change will really occur. You will feel self-worth and self-love.  You'll know that you have inner harmony. You'll understand that you are provided for, not from others, but from yourself and from some higher Divine being, whatever you understand that power or being to me. It's self. It's all about you. You have it all within.  No more anger. No more jealousy. No more suspicious or aggressiveness. No more angst and hurt.

Happy Holly Day!

Lunar Imbole: New Moon in Aquarius; Discount Bach Consults

www.pixiedusthealing.com

According to We'Moon 2013, today is both Lunar Imbole and a New Moon in Aquarius.  Powerful stuff.  Time for me to come out of my shell, my cave, my layer of protection and write something again.

Lunar Imbole refers to the first New Moon after Imbole or Candlemas. I've written about Candlemas a couple of times before http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/02/groundhog-daycandlemas-2012.html  It happens around the same time as  Ground Hog day.  It's a celebration of the potential of spring.  It means we're getting ready for change even though it's not really quite here yet. Hmm...

So the First New Moon after Candlemas can be a powerful time.  It's a time to start over, very similar to the idea of Candlemas but now with full moon energy as well. It's energy that supports getting started on something, moving forward, initiating change, beginning something new. Lucy Harmer in Shamanic Astrology suggests the New Moon is a time to "discover our hidden potential". 

In my part of the world today, as in much of Eastern Canada and the U.S., we are blanketed in snow.  It looks nothing like spring. Not even one little bit.  And yet, maybe that snow is a layer of protection that is hiding that potential.  Maybe there is a newness under there that should be acknowledged and celebrated.

When the moon is in Aquarius we are reminded that we are part of a collective.  We'Moon 2012 suggests the Moon in Aquarius is a time for us to become deeply aware that, what affects one, affects us all.  It's time to search for a new network. It's time to live our true philosophy.  The challenge is to be true to our real heart centered feelings and move forward towards the bigger picture.

It's time to come out of the cave.  Grr... easier said than done it would seem.

It can be a lot easier to review and analyse what your feelings are, what you want to be, what you should and could contribute to the world, the collective, than to actually get started.  It's easy to hide that potential under a blanket of snow and some deep layers of personal protection.  But that doesn't mean it isn't there. It does mean we have to acknowledge, nurture it, and use the energy of a new moon start and the idea of spring, to bring it to the surface. It's a process, but it's time to get started.

You might find the kick start you need to start showing off your potential from some Bach Flowers.  The "Winter Irritation" remedy might be a way to get that layer of irritating snow off your back. http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2013/01/winter-irritation-case-for-bach-flowers.html You might need to sort out what you are responsible for,  from your response- able, talents http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2013/02/response-ability-vs-duty.html and there are some Bach Flowers that can help with that if you're feeling a bit stuck.

I personally have decided to be the change I'm looking for. The New Moon in Aquarius seems like a good time to put that into the post and announce my intentions. Time for me to listen to the chipmunks and actively participate in the shift http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2013/01/actively-participating-in-shift.html

So... one of my potentials, and a gift I have to share with the collective is helping match people with the power, transformation, healing and soothing comfort of Bach Flower essences.  My approach to this is a bit unique but not something I believe I "developed" so much as something I was "given".  It's time for me to step out of my own way and share this. One of the ways I'm doing this is by lowering prices for consultations.  This isn't a "one time gimmick" to get you "hooked" into trying the essences.  It isn't a "winter special" or a marketing scheme.  It's from now on. I don't think the Universe is intending to make me rich by sharing Bach. I think I'm provided for in other, sometimes more boring, ways. But I'm okay with that. So... I've decreased the price of a consultation for both people and animals by 50%.  For $25.00 you can have a consultation and a remedy that, if used in the typical dose, will last you about a month.  It may be a very healing month and you may be well on the road to finding your own potential.  I'm also putting the combination remedies (like Winter Irritation) up on my website so you can purchase them through my site for $20.00.  I've decreased the prices of my books. You can find out for yourself how Bach Flowers help by reading Sweet Shack & Bach Bar.  You can share the world of color and chakra feelings by reading Melvin's Balloons to a child you love. I've included some free downloads on my website.  I'll try to keep putting articles and information up there.  You can access everything by going to my website www.pixiedusthealing.com  Go to the "shop" page http://pixiedusthealing.com/shop/ to find the combination remedies, consult purchase, and downloads.  That page on my website it a bit disorganized at the moment.  My "people" are working on that!  It will improve.  Change doesn't happen, at least for me, in a totally organized way, but I'm getting there.

This comes from my heart and my true authentic self.  I think we should all be able to benefit from gentle healing. I believe emotional healing is the first step to change and for that I turn to Bach Flowers as a chance to find true potential, inner strength, power and knowing.  I think that should be available for everyone.  I'm trying to make it happen.

Ahh... here's to true collective change.

Response- ability vs Duty; Elm, Pine, Oak Bach Flowers

It all started in the ophthalmologist's office the day.  I was sitting in the waiting room with a teenager I feel quite responsible for.  In fact, I was feeling very irresponsible.  We were flunking the intake questionnaire.  We couldn't even remember when she had last had an eye exam and we both knew it had been much longer than the recommended minimum of two years. Eye brows were being raised in my direction. I was feeling sadly lacking in the "parental responsibility" category.

In my defense, there hadn't been any signs of issues or problems.  This teenager hadn't been running into trees, having problems seeing the blackboard (does anyone use a blackboard anymore?), or experiencing headaches. But still. Taking your children to the eye doctor seems to be one of those duties that parents put on their "list of responsibilities".  I think it had been on my list- probably for a few years.  I think there might even have been a message or two left on the phone about  making an appointment.  Maybe even an appointment that had been cancelled because it didn't fit into the  teenage schedule... I found myself grappling with excuses for why I wasn't totally to "blame".  It didn't really work.  I felt responsible. I picked up a magazine. The front cover story was about how teenage brains develop.  It gave scientific developmental reasons for why teenagers aren't always as "responsible" as we would like them to be. It seems we are blaming them for things while they are in fact, developing abilities. Perhaps my brain was still young, or at least under developed.

We left the office without any need for glasses and I left feeling oddly satisfied that finally I had checked something off my list of responsibilities. That felt both right.. and wrong. Something didn't sit right and I starting thinking, and now writing, about that sense of responsibility. There is something about it I don't like...

I looked the word up in the dictionary.  Ahh... now I know what isn't right about it!  It's spelled wrong!  It's spelled responsibility. What is that "i" doing after the "s"?  That's the problem.  Collins Canadian Dictionary provides the following definitions;

"responsibility (of a position or duty) involving decision and accountability; responsible for having control or authority over"

Well, maybe that explains the "i".  I believe the only person I have control and authority over is "I". I may be able to influence my teenager (at least when she was smaller maybe???) but I really don't have control and authority. She is her own capable person, always has been, always will be.

I would like to spell the word differently. I want to spell it respons-ability.  After all, that's how we pronounce it!  Response ability is a totally and completely different thing to me.  It's a positive take on things rather than a way to assign blame. 

Response ability is something we talk about in emergency management.  It suggests a set of skills and resources that can be called in to action when required. Response ability is shared and something you develop.  If one finds a gap or a lack, you call in more resources to increase your response capacity and ability.  It isn't a negative thing. It's a request, an ask, a mutual aid call. We can't all the resources we need for everything.  It isn't practical or manageable.  It isn't within most budgets even. It isn't a sign of weakness, it's a fact of reality. If things don't work out well during an event, you don't assign blame, you reconsider the resources you might need to respond next time.Hmm..

It seems when you consider responsibility to be an "I" thing, you can get overwhelmed pretty quickly. You know exactly what you should do and are pretty competent and capable, but every once in awhile you get overwhelmed with the list. That's an indication for the Bach Flower Elm. So this is a pretty normal human emotion; to be come overwhelmed with responsibilities to the point that you feel unable to deal with them all.  Seems to me that's the point that we should be calling in mutual aid and increasing our response ability rather than trying to shoulder the load.

If you don't catch that  Elm state of feeling overwhelmed with responsibility in time, you can find yourself in a Pine state; full of guilt and self-blame.  If you feel you are in control and authority over all those things on your list, all those people in your life, all that "stuff", when something gets missed, like years of eye checks, for instance, you might just start taking on some blame. Not a very comfortable place, and often pretty lonely.

If you don't catch the Elm state, fall into a Pine state, and keep that cycle of self-reproach going ,you might find responsibility becomes a sense of duty that spirals right into an Oak state. Over a period of time, and with some conditioning and socialization, you might just find yourself an Oak type, or at least with a pretty thick layer of Oak bark on you. That Oak personality keeps going driven by the duty to respond, ignoring the fact that your abilities are running out and it's time to call in mutual aid.  In an Oak state you'll just keep on taking on more responsibility and you'll keep doing until you crash- perhaps literally. You don't allow others to share the load, you figure you have to do it yourself.  You might not even notice they are offering to help. Not a comfortable place, and often pretty lonely.

Any one of those three Bach flowers might be helpful if you're thinking of responsibility with an "i". All three might be indicated. You might find a dose of Water Violet thrown in there to help you accept the gap and consider mutual aid is also helpful. 

But maybe we could also start to reconsider the word. Maybe, rather than assuming we have the responsibility as a duty, control, or authority, we could asses our response ability. Response ability is a collective.  There may be other people, methods and resources that you can call in.  Maybe you're trying to do something without looking at the resources available to you. Maybe you really haven't assessed your true response ability because you're too busy trying to exert control an authority over situations.

Perhaps we do that globally.  It seems we spend a lot of time trying to determine who has the responsibility to act.  Seems to me that's what international politics and government structure is built on: the duty to respond. Maybe if we just consider the abilities we have as people, parents, even countries, we could share our resources, eliminate the blame, and maybe, just maybe, respond a little better?

I've taken the need to control eye exams scheduling off my "to do list".  The office is going to call that teenager with the response ability next time.  They'll suggest an appointment and using the multiple technological devices she has at her disposal to organize her time, she'll set it up and work it out; or not.  If I'm asked to drive and am available, I will. If not, someone else will.  There are a lot of resources within our mutual aid system if we allow them to respond. The point is.  There is no "i" in my response ability.  It's all about sharing and no blame needs to be shouldered nor will be accepted.  We're in this together.

I'm going to take a real hard look at my "list".  I'm going to take the "i" out of the equation, and insert an "a" for abilities.  When I release control in favor of abilities the list becomes much shorter and guilt is gone. The response is more effective. I can read the writing on the wall...