BLOG POSTS
Years ago when I earnestly began my journey with the Plants, I began a relationship with the Celtic Goddess Brigid. She guided me along my path and helped me with my clients. Brigid is notorious for being loved and resilient especially in the face of the patriarchy. This year I have been thinking about Brigid, her gifts, and her lessons. Again, she feels like a fantastic guide to support us through these Earth changes.
We have moved into the time of year of balance and new beginnings. This is a great opportunity to view our lives and ask where we are out of balance, what we need to do less of/what we need to release and what we need to have more of/what we need to invite. Lately, I have been curious about pleasure.
We tend to live a life based on busyness, needing to always be doing more and moving at warp speed, yet having to go faster. For those who want to create a better world, there’s so much that needs attention and healing — GMOs, pipelines, fracking, pesticides, racism, sexual assault, homelessness, deforestation, refugees, protecting Dreamers, healthcare, the list goes on and on — that we often feel we can’t take a break. This eventually leads to burnout.
It is the time of year where we are again reminded of Balance. Where is our energy? Where is our focus? Are we taking time to play and rest? Are we devoting time to our Heart’s calling? How does Nature fit into our lives? This year, there is an even bigger call for Balance, as Mother Earth shows us in brilliant ways how we are collectively imbalanced. We have raging Forest Fires, enormous Hurricanes, mass flooding, and powerful Earthquakes.
It can be nerve wracking to watch these. It is easy to feel overwhelmed and react with fear, feeling as if the sky is falling.
For those of us who aren’t directly experiencing these, I think it is important that we stay grounded and calm, that we hold the space for the Beings involved, and that we try to focus on the bigger picture.
Fire and Water are great energetic cleansers. Large Forest Fires, Hurricanes, and Earthquakes discharge energy and shake things up. They create a clean slate. These are some of Mother Earth’s ways of healing and balancing, just like a fever does for us.
Let’s face it, Mother Earth has quite a bit of clearing needed. And I’m not just talking about the excess CO2 and other pollution. Yes, I believe in climate change. And yes, I think we need to reduce our CO2, eliminate toxins, and take other actions. From my healing work, I know that before something appears as a physical symptom, it has been hanging out in the Spiritual, Mental, Emotional bodies for awhile. I believe the same is true here. After all, our outer world reflects our inner world. I want to go deeper than climate change.
Most of us are not aware of our energy nor do we pay attention to what we send out. It doesn’t take long to peruse social media or listen to the news to see that fear and anger are big components in our culture. These fears and emotions affect the environment and us. If we are not taking responsibility for our emotions, if we let them run amuck, they become garbage piling up and we are faced with a similar fate as Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout who would not take the garbage out (from Shel Silverstein’s poem). Though fortunately for us, the Earth has systems to account for this and when we won’t take out the garbage, she will.
So here’s an opportunity. We can learn how to take responsibility for our emotions. Have you said, “I’m not angry.” while you have a big perma-grin on your face and are actually steaming inside? And then held that anger in until you got to talk to a friend and then let it spew everywhere. Guess what, that spewing goes into the energetic atmosphere and affects others.
For many of us, we were raised to ignore our feelings. When you were a child, you may have been told that it wasn’t okay to be sad (“Boys don’t cry.”) Or maybe you were punished whenever you got angry. If this was the case, it may take some effort to recognize what you are feeling. There are a number of methods of learning how to understand your emotions including meditation, Mindfulness, and Non-Violent Communication.
Let’s face it, between alcohol, drugs, television, pornography, and the endless barrage of consumerism our culture is great at numbing. But this numbing doesn’t take care of the actual issue or the actual feelings, it only suppresses, which allows the energy behind them to expand. So it’s time we face them. It’s time we get in touch with our grief.
If we can be brave enough to feel what we are feeling, many of us, will discover we have grief. Of course, there is grief from heart-break and grief from our Loved ones dying. There is also grief for the children who are starving, for the death of our coral reefs, for the clear-cutting of our Forests, for the women who are raped, for the men who are incarcerated, for slavery, for the annihilation of the Native Americans, the list goes on and on. Because this list is so long and overwhelming, we prefer to ignore it and numb it. However, if we want to live authentically, if we want to live in balance, if we want to live in a beautiful, magical world, we need to acknowledge this. Joanna Macy says, “…despair is the covering of our love for our world and we crack it open by speaking it, so the love can act. So the key is in not being afraid of our pain for the world, not being afraid of the world’s suffering, and if you’re not afraid of it, then nothing can stop you.”
When we can become conscious of our emotions, we can then become conscious of our reactions and the energies that we send out. Thus, hopefully, reducing the garbage.
We also reduce the garbage by practicing good energy hygiene such as: smudging, Limpias, Sacred Bathing, Egg Limpias, laughing, crying, and time in Nature. These free our auras and bodies of energies that do not serve us and can reinstate calm and peace. Energy hygiene is particularly important if you are an empath.
As Nature is cleansing and balancing, she asks us to acknowledge our relationship with Earth and ALL her Beings. We live in an interconnected world, even though the mainstream paradigm wants us to believe we are separate. It’s time we step forward and move into right relationship, becoming a part of Nature, recognizing our relatives. When we do this, we honor our True Essential Nature and step into our potential.
Instead of responding in fear to the occurrences of our world, I ask us to ground, get centered in our Hearts (remember Gratitude is a great help), take responsibility for our emotions and energy, keep our auras clear, and connect with Nature. These seemingly simple acts have profound effects. Remember “It has been said that something as small as the flutter of a butterfly’s wing can ultimately cause a typhoon half-way around the world.” (Chaos Theory)
There are many Plants that can help us. Tulsi helps us be calm, peaceful, and Heart centered. White Pine brings strength, protection, and peace. Sunflower helps us face our fears. Eastern Hemlock helps us adjust to change. Burdock helps us be grounded while keeping our crown chakras open. Burdock also helps to clear unwanted energies from our Auras. Of course, these are only a sample. Nature is ready to help us. Often all we need to do is ask.
Be Brave. Be Balanced. Be Shining. Be Love(d).
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Photo is from Vieques, which was greatly affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
I wrote about Motherwort several months ago. Motherwort is one of the Plants that I have been working/playing with for my Plant Spirit Healing Apprenticeship. The more time I share with her, the deeper our relationship grows, and the more I learn. I have always thought that she is a wonderful and rich plant with so many uses. I mentioned earlier that I use the Flower Essence to help with boundaries, to express things that need to be said, to help with Anxiety and bring one back to the center, and to help discern what the real issues are.
Motherwort is a Heart protector. She also helps women going through menopause/peri-menopause, among many other gifts.
What she recently taught me is that she is a great balancer. Motherwort is particularly helpful to balance Masculine/Feminine. So for women (and men) whose feminine/nurturing sides are too strong, she can help you stand up for yourself and be strong. For men (and women) whose masculine sides are too strong, she can help you soften and be more nurturing. (I should mention that since Motherwort is an excellent Heart Plant, she helps to bring this balance with Heart energy.) To me, this is her most important gift and why I believe she is so important now.
We all know that our world is changing and our world needs to change. One of the major areas of change is to bring more feminine energy into our society. I’m not saying that women are better than men. But, for too long, we have lived in a male-dominated warring, destructive, constrictive society, which has not served anyone: not Nature, not women, not children, and definitely not men.
It is time that the patriarchal paradigm shifts and we bring the Feminine energy, so that there is balance. I believe that Motherwort can help us do this.
You might ask, How? Well, first of all, for those of you who have space, Plant her. Now, know that she is generous in all aspects, so she does spread. If you can, sit with her, spend time with her, dream with her, love her. Get to know her. If you are feeling out of balance, call on her. She recommended that I infuse Honey with her. Motherwort is bitter; therefore, the sweetness of the honey will help to add to her balancing effect. Yes, you can take her Flower Essence, tincture, and tea. Of course, while you spend time with her, recognize the areas of your life that need balancing.
