September 15, 2010
September News -
Connecting with the Seasons and Elements
The colours and smells and beautiful dew soaked cobwebs inspire me to talk about the seasons today.
As I lifted my iPhone to capture a shimmering cobweb, I could see depths of colour unavailable to the naked eye. I inhaled the dense damp fragrance of the forest. An owl left its perch in the dry river bed which will soon be flowing once again with life giving water.
Even as we head into autumn with the decay and death of plants, life is abundant and pregnant with possibility here on the west coast.
I can never connect with the seasons without feeling immense gratitude for the 5 elements and what they mean to all of us both in our physical bodies and in the world around us.
It seems like there is always something more to learn about these 5 energies and how their interaction, interdependence and “inter-being” (Thich Nhat Hanh) affect our lives and well being.
I’m sharing an article, which I wrote a couple of years ago, about the spirits of the 5 elements.
We have also been hearing amazing reports about the impact of Balancer™ essence for people and animals in stress and overwhelm. While in Japan, we had some testing done on some of our combinations with a Hado machine (energy measuring device). Since the Balancer™ had been tested a number of years ago, we were delighted to see that the measurements of this formula were still consistent. It is as powerful and effective as when they were first tested over 5 years ago.
With this in mind, our special for the month will be Buy all 5 Element formulas at regular price and receive the Good Vibrations booklet, self selection questionnaire and a bottle of balancer for FREE until October 14th.
Also, Jamie's Abundance column shares some creative techniques to further joy and abundance in our lives. Read her column below.
Just a reminder that the upcoming international conference in Lisbon will be October 2 and 3, 2010. Go to www.thenewdimensionofhealing.org to see who will be there and to register.
With love and blessings,
Alan, Paula, Michael &
How Essences Impact on Spirit
from Herbal Collective September 2008
I have just returned from teaching in Japan where I talked about the spirits related to each of the 5 elements in traditional Chinese medicine and had great difficulty getting across the notion of spirit. For some reason that word conjures up the idea of ghosts and disincarnate entities to Japanese people. I have been reflecting on the notion of spirit and what I understand it to be.
Here are my thoughts: Spirit is like the eternal unchanging energy in each of us. While it is individualized in form – ie expressed differently in each human being, it is eternal, infinite and indestructible. It is present in the light in a baby’s eyes when he recognizes the beings who are loving and supporting him. It seems to disappear when the body dies.
In traditional Chinese medicine there are 5 spirits which inhabit and energize each of the 5 elements – Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood.
The Fire Spirit is "Shen" or consciousness. It is the holy of holies. In the classics it is called the “root of life” and the heart is referred to as the home of the divine. When consciousness leaves the body because the heart stops, we are dead.
The Earth Spirit is "I" and gives us the gift of embodiment and the capacity for self reflection. The body/mind is literally the vehicle through which we are able to experience life, ourselves and others.
The Spirit of Metal is "Po" or the instinct - the flows of energy in the pulses and cranial sacral and other body rhythms which keep the body alive. "Po" is sometimes called the “animal spirit”. It is the energy which all living things have in common, including plants which exchange carbon dioxide and oxygen in order to maintain life.
The Water Spirit is known as "Chih" and is essentially our vital essence and the DNA blueprint for our earth journey. It contains ancestral wisdom and provides us with the clarity and will to live.
Finally the Spirit of Wood is called "Hun". It is this spirit or energy which is said to move with us from lifetime to lifetime. "Hun" is like the potential in a seed to become the plant it is meant to be – ie acorns become oak trees, never pine trees. When Hun is happy it is fulfilling its mission on earth.
Some of my colleagues in the world of essences are talking about essences healing the spirit, but by definition I don’t believe that the spirit needs healing. In order to thrive and animate us however, our spirits really do need nourishment. Our bodies, minds and emotions need healing in order to make a comfortable home for spirit.
One of the ways that essences work is it heals emotional grievances and self defeating, toxic thinking patterns. The spirit can then inhabit a vibrant and healthy body/mind.
For years we experimented with combinations to nourish the energy of each of the 5 elements so that they would be easily available for use by anyone without consulting a practitioner. When we finally launched the 5 element formulas in 2005, the message we received from the nature spirits was:
“Together we come to nourish the energies of the 5 elements in your body/mind. Use Fire when you have no passion or joy in your lives. Use Metal when you are stuck and feel value-less. When you feel like your life is not flowing and you are impeded with doubt and fear use the Water combination. And when you are suffering from indigestion at any level use Earth. And finally when you have forgotten your purpose and have no energy for creative expression nourish yourself with the Wood formula.”
Greetings, Abundant Friends,
Last month, I wrote, "Those Abundance drops, as well as a variety of books and teachers, have influenced and supported me . . . "
This month, I'd like to share a few of those "books and teachers" with you! Each of these teachers shares techniques for creative thinking--creative thinking that leads to abundant thinking!
Some are more practical, some more spiritual, but every one of them has given me tools to make my life more joyful, more playful, and, definitely, more abundant. I suggest you read books and stories that inspire you to support the energetic shifts that the Abundance Essence creates. Here's a short list to get you started:
1) Julia Cameron has espoused the idea of "creative recovery." Her first book, The Artist's Way, is a twelve-week program that guides participants back to a happier life and more creative mindset.
2) Psychic and teacher Sonia Choquette encourages us to trust our own intuition and listen to our own guidance--all in aid of helping us live more magical lives. Trust Your Vibes and Ask Your Guides are two of my favorites of her books.
3) Machaelle Small Wright is a "co-creative scientist." Her autobiographical Behaving As If The God In All Life Matters details how she came to work with devas and nature spirits in contemporary Virginia. It's inspiring for nature lovers--and, yes, magical!
4) Marsha Sinetar's most well known book, Do What You Love And The Money Will Follow, is a no-nonsense guide to finding and following your most fulfilling career path. And Sinetar's Developing a 21st Century Mind provides some important stepping stones to help you on your way.
5) The Magic of Findhorn was written by journalist Paul Hawken. In it, Hawken reveals the deeply spiritual approach that the Findhorn Community founders, Eileen Caddy, Peter Caddy, and Dorothy MacLean. Well written and inspiring, I find myself encouraged to move forward during even the toughest times thinking of what this trio accomplished by acting on Eileen's "still, small voice."
6) Write It Down, Make It Happen: That's what author Henriette Anne Klauser says. And she means it! In this fun, easy read, Klauser shares the stories of many people who have created what they wanted in their lives through the simple writing processes she details in her book.
Abundance 101: Read good books for inspiration. Fill your heart and your mind with the fine possibilities this world has to offer. And definitely share the titles of your favorites with me, if you would. There's always room in the bookcase for one more!
'Til next month,
Enjoy, appreciate, and create!
Jamie
Helping Writers Become Authors: www.WoodstreamWriters.com
407.644.5163 ~ Jamie@WoodstreamWriters.com
