Tumeric Root

A picture of the Turmeric Root  from www.chinesemedicinenews.com

Cold and flu and covid!  How do we stay healthy and strong?  One of the oldest solutions to fighting disease is to eat or drink food with tumeric in it. Here is what you need to know.

 ""Turmeric has strong antioxidant activity. It is more potent than either vitamin C or vitamin E. In the body these important disease-fighting substances mop up unstable oxygen molecules called free radicals that can otherwise damage cells and cause diseases such as cancer. One component, dimethylbenzyl alcohol, normalizes cholesterol in the blood, while curcumin removes accumulation of cholesterol in the liver. Turmeric normalizes arterial health. Turmeric is also called for when indigestion, gas, and eliminatory issues imbalance the body.   From http://www.bellybytes.com/nourish/turmeric_root.html""

  After reading the information above, it is easier to understand what our Ancestors wanted to do with  roots and creating medicine from combinations of food.  Yogis and herbalists have worked to create many recipes that both balance the ACIDIC/ALKALINE levels in our body as well as working to provide good nutrition.  

Other properties of Turmeric are that it lubricates joints, cleanses the skin, cleanses the mucous membranes and cleanses the female reproductive organs. Yogis advise that Turmeric lubricates the spine and helps break up calcium deposits.  One of the drinks that Yogis recommend is "Golden Milk".

Golden Milk Recipe

1/4 to 1/3 teaspoon Turmeric       1/3 cup of water

8 ounces of milk, dairy or non dairy,  1 teaspoon almond oil and honey to taste

Boil Turmeric and water for about 8 minutes.  If water boils away, add more water.  Add milk and almond oil.  When mixture boils, remove from heat and add honey.  Makes 1 to 1 1/2 cups of Golden Milk. 

(from Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan, written by Shakta Kaur Khalsa).

Blessings,

Judy

A Lonely Crow - Spirit Animal

Picture of 
"Crow In Flight" from Wikipedia

 

We are at the time of year when all of the crows should have flown south - from Alberta - for the winter.  So, I was surprised to see one lonely crow in the park woods on my walk the other morning.  I know it was a crow because of the distinctive "caw" noise.  Thinking about the scene, I then began to wonder if I had actually seen the crow or whether it was a Spirit Crow that was there as the woods were eerily quiet.

Crow makes a wide range of noises, and it is possible to learn their language in our rather primitive human way.  Sometimes the sounds are about danger, others about gossip and where the food is, or where there are other animals that may present some fun! The shiny blackness of Crow's feathers remind us that absolute blackness is the chaos that we - the cosmos - was born out of. And, Crow represents the magic that is present during the day. (Appropriate for me in the woods.) 

What messages does Crow bring?  Messages that really need to be reflected upon.  Here are some of them.

a)   Crow likes to be very high up to observe and watch for danger.  If you see Crow, and she is cawing at you, perhaps you need to be warned of danger ahead.

b)  Crow likes to gather with other crows.  Some liken this to a Council.  Perhaps it is time to turn to your Council of Twelve for guidance.

c)  Various legends of the Gods and Goddesses tell of their use of Crows as spies because Crow has an inherent knowledge of truth.  If Crow appears, it may be that she is saying that you need to look beyond the apparent for the actual Truth.  Shaman say that you need to look for the story behind the story.  

d) Crow therefore is also about integrity.  Is there something that is challenging your truth and integrity?  Do you need to be diligent or discerning in your association with others?

As I look at my Crow experience, I realize that my  message came from Great Spirit, and that Crow was there to remind me that there is much beyond what we know, and that I need to turn more to guidance from Great Spirit, Ancestors, and my Council of Twelve.   I will be spending more time in mediation!

Blessings,

Judy

Winter Solstice is Thu, Dec 21, 2023, 8:27 p.m

"Winter Sanctuary"   © S. Roger Joyeux, used with permission.

A tradition we have every year is to participate in a Winter Solstice Celebration – whether we attend one or host one.  Here is some information about Winter Solstice.

On the longest night of the year, December 21st, we celebrate an ancient celebration, often called "Yule".  This is the Winter Solstice celebration that honours the long night, and welcomes the Mother Goddess to give birth to her child, the SUN. From this day, the daylight hours will grow longer, as Sun matures.  We celebrate Yule by lighting a big bonfire to welcome the light, and by burning Yule logs (pine logs) to honour the birth of something new.  At the sametime, we set our intentions because Winter Solstice is a magical season . . . one that marks the journey from this year to the next, journeys of the spirit from one world to the next, and the magic of birth, death, and rebirth.  We ask to shed that which no longer serves us, set our vision of what we desire for the next year, and take the winter to dream it into being.  We also give wishes to loved ones, to ensure the blessing on our visions.  We take our vision of what we will become and offer this to the Goddess for a blessing. As well, we offer gratitude for what we have and gift good wishes to others. 

In Sweden, The Goddess Lucina is known as the Sun Goddess. The people celebrate the return of the Sun Goddess on the day of the year when the night is the longest. By giving her this adoration, the next day, there will be an increase in daylight signalling something new! Lucina gives birth to the young Sun who will grow in strength to be able to nourish the Spring and the Summer so the world may flourish. Lucina asked the people to create joyfulness by decorating evergreens, the tree of life and death, which are sacred to her. As well, she asked them to put up holly, which is the symbol of rebirth (abundance and prosperity for the year). Mistletoe, also sacred to her, is the symbol of peace. The decorating of pine trees and the hanging of holly and mistletoe are traditions that originated with the Goddess Lucina.

That tradition was passed down to me by my Grandmother. When I was little, my Grandmother, who was Swedish and Norwegian, always sent a big box of presents at Christmas time on the years they did not come to visit. In the box would be several branches of Holly and a sprig or two of Mistletoe, to wish our family prosperity and peacefulness for the upcoming year.  Grandpa grew mistletoe and holly as part of his flower garden so Grandma sent a link from their house to ours. 

Note that the picture of holly comes from http://www.trainingreference.co.uk/ . We are grateful for their help.

We wish you all to have a branch of holly and a sprig of mistletoe!

Happy Winter and many blessings,

Judy

Minding The Soul

I was having a discussion about life and particularly, the way life is now playing out with a long time friend.  She said to me, what if our soul wants us to die now.  The thought took me so by surprise that I was speechless!  She asked me if I was okay.  I said that I was, but that the idea of our soul wanting us to die, ultimately so that we can move on to other things, simply got my mind churning away on new ideas.  

I remembered the poem, “Invictus”, and I wondered whether indeed we were the captains of our own souls.  My thought is that once we reach a high level of vibration, then our earthly soul merges with our higher self, and it doesn’t really matter.

Invictus

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul. 

William Ernest Henley

It is worth reading this poem several times.  There are some big ideas in it that are good for focusing your meditation.

Many blessings,

Judy

Walking In The Light

I had an interesting experience where a client asked me - “What does it mean to walk in the light?”  I wasn’t sure how to answer the question because walking in the light is an individual experience.  As always, my guides helped me out by referring me to a picture of my husband walking in the light.

I took this amazing picture of my husband when we were in Sedona quite a few years ago.  We are across the saddle from Kachina Woman.  He had climbed up an out cropping of rocks to get some better pictures.  When I looked back at him, he seemed to be covered in an explosion of light.  

You can see the rays of light come around the top of the rock and make an arc, as though a cone of light has been set over him.  There is a very bright orb in the foreground, with green reflection off of it.  If you look at the picture closely, you can see amazing hues of purple and blue against the rock.

I asked him if he could feel any energy up there.  He said that it was simply peaceful.  (For camera enthusiasts, I simply used my cell phone camera.). I think that that is the best explanation of walking in the light… it is the ability to be absolutely peaceful and calm in everything that you do.

Many blessings,

Judy

Are You Super Glued To Certain Thoughts?

Super glue picture from http://www.fnal.gov 

Have you found that sometimes, the same thought plays over and over in your head?  Have you experienced the reliving of a memory that was painful and thought for the one thousandth time, I’d like to make that person pay?  Do you have a story that runs continuously in your mind and that you tell your friends over and over?  Welcome to the world of sticky thoughts, that is, thoughts that are glued to your mind.

The problem with these thoughts is that they create barriers to you doing a lot of other things with your brain power and with your life.  These thoughts take up your time and energy, drag you down, and create inertia.  In some, it creates a great tiredness that prevents them from doing anything to improve their life, other than to say, “Someday!”. 

If your thoughts are super glued and you cannot seem to shrug them off, then remember this – we are not thoughts!  Thoughts are not true! To achieve peace and relief from anxiety and fear, we must learn to still our thoughts. Osho has a great technique to still your thoughts – a releasing of the super glue.

Meditation – Touch Your Eyes – by OSHO

Use both your palms, put them on your eyes, and allow the palms to touch the eyeballs ― but just like a feather, with no pressure. If you press you miss the point, you miss the whole technique. Don’t press; just touch, like a feather. You will have to adjust, because in the beginning you will be pressing. Put less and less pressure until you are just touching with no pressure at all ― just your palms touch the eyeballs. Why? Because a needle can do something which a sword cannot do. If you press, the quality has changed ― you are aggressive. And the energy that is flowing through the eyes is very subtle: a small pressure and it starts fighting and a resistance is created. If you press, then the energy that is flowing through the eyes will start a resistance, a fight; a struggle will ensue. So don’t press; even a slight pressure is enough for the eye-energy to judge.  It is very subtle, it is very delicate. Don’t press ― like a feather; just your palm is touching, as if not touching. Touching as if not touching, no pressure; just a touch, a slight feeling that the palm is touching the eyeball, that’s all. What will happen? When you simply touch without any pressure, the energy starts moving within. If you press, it starts fighting with the hand, with the palm, and moves out. Just a touch and the energy starts moving within. The door is closed; simply the door is closed and the energy falls back. The moment energy falls back, you will feel a lightness coming all over your face, your head. This energy moving back makes you light.  Even if you are not entering deep meditation, this will help you physically. Any time in the day, relax on a chair ― or if you don’t have any chair, when just sitting in a train ― close your eyes, feel a relaxed being in the whole of your body, and then put both your palms on your eyes. But don't press ― that’s the very significant thing. Just touch like a feather. When you touch and don’t press, your thoughts will stop immediately. In a relaxed mind thoughts cannot move; they get frozen. They need frenzy and fever, they need tension to move. They live through tension. When the eyes are silent, relaxed, and the energy is moving backwards, thoughts will stop. You will feel a certain quality of euphoria, and that will deepen daily. Osho: Excerpted from The Book of Secrets

May you release the glue that holds your thoughts in place and may you move to another level of being!

Many blessings,

Judy

The Power of Takkakaw Falls

 Over the years, a favourite place for us to go is to a place called Takkakaw Falls.  The setting for these magnificent Falls is in Yoho National Park.  The falls are only accessible between June and October.  The road to the falls can be daunting.  The place radiates energy and cleansing and healing.  The water is icy cold, always.

Some details: Height: 1248 feet  Width: 100 feet  The Daly Glacier which feeds Takkakaw Falls is 3152 m (10,345 ft).

The pictures below were taken by S. Roger Joyeux and all copyrights remain with him, and these pictures are used with his permission.

  

 

The power of the Falls is that it pulls down light frequencies and disburses them into frequencies that may be used by humans.  This is part of the awe that one feels at the foot of the falls.  You can take a hiking trail that leads you to the bottom of the falls and there you can be splashed with the spray and the extremely cold water. 

The power of the Falls makes you feel humble and pushes ego to the side.  Some people have said that it is like sitting at the feet of God and feeling his strength.  For me, it was feeling the power of the Earth and the Universe combined into one message.  That message is to recognize our own power, and to act for the greater good.  

The falls calls to our true, high light, pure love selves. Indigenous people have gone to the Falls on vision quests.  Couples have made their vows at the Falls.  The peace that exists even with the roaring of the water in the falls and in the river, makes the place feel unearthly.  

We have like to take pictures and do some ceremony at the Falls.  We sit on the rocks just below the falls and meditate. Each visit is intense and satisfying!

Many blessings,

Judy