The Heart of Faith

What is faith?  The dictionary describes it as an unwavering confidence or trust in something or someone.  I read an article recently, and I apologize that I don't remember the details, but it was talking about the phrase, "faith can move mountains".  The story was about a village that didn't have access to a hospital because a mountain stood in their way.  There was a man who had a wife that had an ongoing illness and he knew that he needed to be able to get a certain kind of medicine for her and that it was on the other side of the mountain.  So he set off to make a road going over the mountain and eventually other people in the village began to help.  Some might think this is a story of perseverance or a strong will, but what the story talked about was this man's faith.  He had such a deep faith that making a road over the mountain was possible and that he was going to be able to do it.  I think that it took many years, but it was his faith alone that inspired the help of other people in the village to help and to persevere.

I found this story to be really important.  There are so many changes going on and many people struggling and it's an old illusion that having faith is to believe that someone or something is going to come along and save you.  I don't believe this is faith.  Faith is believing that change will come and that you will know what to do to create this change.  Believing that you have the tools to create the change you need.  Trusting that you are enough and that the universe is here to support you.  Having faith that you are a part of something much larger that supports truth, justice, abundance and joy.

I actually have never thought about my faith until lately.  I'm actually just discovering what an unwavering faith I have when it comes to trusting that goodness will prevail.  I know it sounds cliche, but my faith in the universe and standing in one's own truth and the power of love has been the underlying current, the river or stream so to speak that has directed the flow of my life.  It has moved metaphorical mountains in my life and helped me get to where I wanted to go.  It may have taken years, just like with the man from the village, but my life is closer to being what I've dreamed of then ever before.  So here's to faith, an irreconcilable power that can move mountains
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The Dark Mother

As an archetypal figure, the Dark Mother is one of the more powerful ones, in my opinion.  I stumbled upon her 18 years ago during my first trip to France.  Referred to as the Black  Madonna, she is found as a Madonna statue made of dark wood and highly revered by many seeking healing at the old temples and cathedrals.

I was raised Christian and the archetype of  Mother Mary, the way she was depicted by the Christian religion, had a powerful impact on me growing up.  Her gentleness, purity and obscure power conveyed to me as a young girl, that that was what a woman should be.  Not being exposed to many other kinds of archetypes as a child, this image of Mother Mary was the only image I had.

I have a much deeper understanding of the Mother Mary archetype than I did then and I love her power.  But all I can say is, I'm so thankful for having found the Dark Mother or the Black Madonna.  She helped to balance out my ways of being feminine.  She helped me to be okay, well more than okay, with the other side of me that was earthy, passionate and ferocious at times.  I had denied this part of myself thinking it must not be acceptable, but my search for sinking my roots deep in the earth and creating a passionate life and having a powerful voice brought me right to the feet of the Dark Mother.

It was one of the most powerful initiations that I ever encountered.  Her fierceness worked its way through me and helped me to change my life from the inside out.  She helped me to break old family patterns that inhibited my power as a woman and she helped me to mother my children from a very deep and intuitive place.  She helped me to face fear and to trust in the power of truth.

I've since helped guide many women and men through this initiation and it's been a joy to see each person find their voice, a deeper truth, and a creative life.  It's not an easy initiation because it challenges every belief system you have.  It forces you to let go and to get turned inside out.  But it's so well worth it.  While the Dark Mother is fierce, she's also a powerful earth mother that will nourish you to the very core. 

So if change is knocking on your door and you're having a hard time letting go and perhaps feeling a lot of resistance or fear, call on the Dark Mother.  If you're stuck in a situation that is difficult, hurtful, or seems too big for you to handle, call on the Dark Mother.  She will provide you with the strength and fierceness you need to overcome any obstacle and bring change to your life.  Blessings!

Spices as Medicine

I've always loved cinnamon and ginger.  When fall comes, I traditionally bake my grandmother's favorite molasses cookie recipe that's filled with cinnamon and ginger.  I usually add about twice as much of the spices as the recipe actually calls for.  They're so yummy and so very warming.  The perfect remedy for colder weather.  But there are a lot of other ways that I use cinnamon and ginger.

I use the essential oil of cinnamon in my foot salves.  It's anti-fungal properties helps to keep my feet free of fungus and really helps to soothe and heal any cracks that I may have.  It's considered a "hot" oil, so using directly on your skin, without a carrier oil, could really irritate your skin.

I also use cinnamon when I'm feeling a cold come on.  I take a generous teaspoon of cinnamon and add it to some plain yogurt and eat it.  Cinnamon is anti-bacterial and anti-viral, so it makes great medicine to ward off colds and flu.  I also use a generous amount of it in warm milk before I go to bed at night.  It helps with digestion after a heavy meal and its warming quality helps me to fall asleep at night.  It also is a great agent for regulating blood sugar.  So if you have problems with fluctuating blood sugar, taking a teaspoon of cinnamon every day can really help.

Ginger is my other favorite.  Ginger candies got me through my early months of my pregnancies.  It was the only thing that would help me through morning sickness.  Just sucking on a small piece of crystallized ginger whenever I would feel nauseous was a life saver.  Those days are long past, and now I use ginger primarily because of it's such a great digestive aid.  It has a real warming quality to it and can kick start a lousy appetite, help relieve a bloated stomach, and help improve absorption of vital nutrients.  Used as a tea with a bit of lemon is great for sore throats and helping to clear your sinuses.  I added powdered ginger to my warm milk at night along with cinnamon and it really helps to improve my digestion so I'm not going to bed still trying to digest my dinner.

Ginger is also great for the kidneys.  This time of year, it's so important to give your kidneys what they need.  And that is warmth, darkness and pressure.  Winter is the time to slow down, stay warm and nourish your kidneys so they are well prepared for the burst of spring energy.  Kidney wraps are very common in many cultures.  Using an old scarf that you can wrap around your waist provides the subtle pressure that kidneys like.  Infusing fresh ginger and adding ginger essential oil to your favorite massage oil makes a great, warming oil to rub on your lower back where your kidneys are.

Anthroposophical doctors say that when children get ear infections that it's their kidneys that need tending to.  They recommend making ginger packs by grading up fresh ginger, placing it on the kidney area, applying a heating pad or hot water bottle and wrapping the area with a scarf or anything to hold it into place.  I've never tried this since my kids were never prone to ear infections, but I've heard it works really well.

Have a healthy winter!

The Healing Magic of Essential Oils continued.......

A couple of years ago I posted an article on the healing magic of essential oils.  Well, since then, I've become certified in aromatherapy and have continued to be amazed with essential oils and their healing capabilities.  When I first started using essential oils, it was primarily in my herbal salves to promote healing of all sorts of skin ailments.  Then I began using essential oils neet, or directly on wounds without being blended with a carrier oil.  And if you haven't read my previous blog entry on "The Healing Magic of Essential Oils", I encourage you to do so.  It's a great story about healing my husband's deep cut with lavender.

Lately, I've begun integrating the oils into my healing practice and have been using a variety of different oils on clients' feet.  One thing that I instantly notice is that they become more relaxed, their whole system.  The other thing that I notice is how the oils interact with opening up a person's meridians.  They seem to magically open up our energetic channels.  It's as if the body knows how pure the medicine of essential oils is and responds to it with such a beautiful openness.  I've seen people's chakras begin to open as well and respond as if in a lovely and intimate dance together. 

The oils are such wonderful facilitators for our systems to go into a deep relaxation where its innate wisdom of being able to heal itself can then take place.  I use them on my children, even though 2 are adults now, to help them to relax and to let go of their busy lives. 

On another note, I think this is worth mentioning this time of year.  During the winter months when our whole family is indoors more than other times of the year, the energy of our home can feel clogged at times and it can easily create stress for me.  I've found when I add a really uplifting oil like lemon, peppermint, or spearmint to a bucket or sink full of water and wash my floors with it, any stuck energy seems to dissipate.  The air is cleared just as if it was spring and I was opening all the windows and doors.  Aaaaahh, a welcome relief!

Have a magical and healthy winter everyone!