Celebrating Spirituality - January 18, 2013

Celebrating Spirituality

On this day: In Australia, this day was dedicated to the Aborigine Mother goddess Nungeena.  According to her legend, evil spirits destroyed the earth with insects.  Nungeena then created the most beautiful birds of all: lyre birds.  These magnificent creatures in turn made other birds, who assisted with the work of clearing away the insects and restoring the world to its original beauty.

Magical Activity

Feather and Cord Healing Spell

Items needed: One 36” piece of white cord; seven feathers, one each of the following colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet; a photograph of the person being healed.

Place the picture on a table or shelf so that it is at eye level.  Concentrate on the picture and see in your mind’s eye the person overcoming his or her illness.  Begin by saying the following prayer:

Great Goddess Nungeena on this hour,

Allow me to be your channel of power.

Let your forces now work through me,

For this I will so shall it be.

Visualize the person you wish to heal.  Begin by tying each feather, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet (evenly spaced), into the cord as you chant:

By the knot of one, this spell has now begun.

By the knot of two, I shall now heal you.

By the knot of three, I give healing power to thee.

By the knot of four, you are strengthened even more.

By the knot of five, you will now begin to thrive.

By the knot of six, your illness I now fix.

With this knot of seven, your illness is gone, you are now healthy, from this moment on.

To complete the spell, wrap the cord and feathers around the person’s picture and store in a safe place.

Medical tip of the day: Menopause – treating it naturally

The average age for the last menstrual period is 51.  For each woman the timing of the menopause is influenced by several factors, such as genetics, smoking, stress, and nutrition.  This is a time of transition, and most women go through it with no ill effects.  Some experience mild symptoms, such as hot flashes, sweating, dizziness, insomnia or headaches, which may be exacerbated by lifestyle.  A very small minority suffers more major problems.  Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) helps to reduce menopausal symptoms such as flashing for some women.  If taken long term, it may also reduce susceptibility to osteoporosis and heart disease in later life, although the evidence for this is not conclusive.  However, there are also concerns about a possible link between prolonged HRT and breast and cervical cancer.  Many women prefer to adopt safe, natural ways of boosting estrogen levels.  These include eating a healthy diet and avoiding excessive weight loss, taking regular exercise, ensuring adequate exposure to natural light, and employing effective methods of stress management.

Although there are a number of natural remedies suggested, please consult a professional for homeopathic or herbal remedies.  The need for a healthy diet and regular exercise is greater than ever during and after the menopause, and a technique that balances the body systems such as yoga can be extremely beneficial.

Some natural remedies include:

Oil of cypress massage – Add 4 drops of cypress oil to 1.5 oz of a carrier oil (almond & grape seed work well) mix well and massage over entire body after a warm bath.

Bach flower remedies – Walnut - Acts on over-sensitivity to outside influences, and is helpful for the major changes in life (such as puberty and menopause) - http://feelbach.com/quick38.asp?refID=gl2c2

Folk medicine – Ginseng – The ginseng root is believed to be one of nature’s greatest cures for loss of sex drive and general debility.  The root is available in various forms – dried, in a tincture, in tablets, or in tea mixtures.  Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for dosage.

Shiatsu – Points on legs and between lumbar and thoracic vertebrae – Women going through the menopause can experience a variety of discomforting symptoms.  Professional diagnoses is necessary, but you can help the body to normalize itself using Shiatsu massage done by a trained professional - http://www.irenes.edu/index.htm?gclid=CLuz2uL28rQCFUOK4Aod5isA9g

Herb of the day: Spearmint

Folk Name: Brown Mint, Garden Mint, Yerba Buena

Gender: Feminine

Planet: Venus

Element: Water

Powers: Healing, Love, Mental Powers

Magical Uses: Spearmint is used in a ll healing applications, especially in aiding lung diseases.  Smelled, spearmint increases and sharpens mental powers.

For protection while asleep, stuff a pillow or mattress with spearmint.

Physical Uses:

§   It’s packed with numerous health benefiting vitamins, antioxidants and phytonutrients.

§  The leaves and herb parts contain essential oil, menthol. Unlike in peppermint, spearmint leaves composes only small amounts of menthol, 0.5% compared to the 40% in peppermint. Less menthol content would make this herb least pungent and subtly fragrant herb in the mint family.

§  The herb has low calories (about 43 calories per 100 g) and contains zero cholesterol.

§  The chief essential oil in spearmint is menthol. Other important chemical components of spearmint are α-pinene, β-pinene, carvone, cineole, linalool, limonene, myrcene andcaryophyllene. These compounds in mint help relieve fatigue and stress.

§  The herb decoction is an excellent remedy for minor ailments such as headaches, nervous strain, fatigue and stress, as well as for the respiratory problems; helping with asthma, bronchitis and catarrh.

§  It is very useful to deal with digestive problems, including nausea, flatulence and hiccups as it relaxes the stomach muscles.

§  The essential oil, menthol, has analgesic, local anesthetic and counterirritant properties. Menthol also found application in the preparation of toothpaste and mouth refreshers.

§  On the skin, when used as cream or lotion, it may help relieve the itching of pruritis, dermatitis, and hives.

§  Spearmint oil is used as blended massage oil and in the aromatic therapy to help relieve headaches, stress, fatigue, and nervous conditions and to relieve itching.

§  Spearmint tea can be used safely in pregnancy. In women, it helps reduce unwanted hairs through its anti-androgenic properties.

http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/spearmint.html

Stone of the Day: Smokey Quartz

Attributes: Smokey Quartz is one of the most efficient grounding and anchoring stones and at the same time raises vibrations during meditation.  This protective stone has a strong link with the earth and the base chakras, promoting a concern for the environment and ecological solutions.  This stone is a superb antidote to stress.  It assists in tolerating difficult times with equanimity, fortifying resolve.

Grounding spiritual energy and gently neutralizing negative vibrations, Smoky Quartz blocks geopathic stress, absorbs electromagnetic smog, and assists elimination and detoxification on all levels.  It brings in a positive vibration to fill the space.  Smoky Quartz teaches you how to leave behind anything that no longer serves you.  It can be used to protect the earth chakra below the feet and its grounding cord when in an area of disturbed earth energy.

Psychologically, Smoky Quartz relieves fear, lifts depression, and brings emotional calmness.  It alleviates suicidal tendencies and ambivalence about being in incarnation.  Smoky uartz aids acceptance of the physical body and the sexual nature, enhancing virility and cleansing the base chakra so that passion can flow naturally.  This crystal alleviates nightmares and manifests your dreams.  When it comes into contact with negative emotions, it gently dissolves them.

Mentally, Smoky Quartz promotes positive, pragmatic thought and can be used in scrying to give clear insight and to neutralize fear of failure.  It dissolves contradictions, promotes concentration, and alleviates communication difficulties.  Smoky Quartz facilitates moving between alpha and beta states of mind and aids clearing the mind for meditation.

Physically, because Smoky Quartz is often naturally irradiated, it is excellent for treating radiation-related illness or chemotherapy.  However, care should be taken to select naturally formed stones with minuscule radiation rather than ones that have been artificially treated with radiation (these stones are usually very black and nontransparent).  Tolerance of stress is much improved with the assistance of relaxing Smoky Quartz and this stone provides pain relief.  In healing, a layout of slow-release Smoky Quartz pointing out from the body can prevent a healing crisis from occurring.

Healing: Smoky Quartz is particularly effective for ailments of the abdomen, hips, and legs.  It relieves pain, including headaches, and benefits the reproductive system, muscle and nerve tissue, and the heart.  Smoky Quartz dissolves cramps, strengthens the back, and fortifies the nerves. This stone aids assimilation of minerals and regulates liquids within the body.