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Enchanted Forest Magazines

These are magazines we put together from articles posted on site by all members.
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We at the Enchanted Forest are honoured to support and host the live chats
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Basic principles of energy healing

Posted by sunflowerhawkspirit

Listed below are some principles common to all energy healing. To read about how
various systems differ, read Types of Energy Healing. Everything is energy. We are
energetic beings. Energy follows thought. Universal life energy can be directed through
the hands to facilitate healing. Our attention is a like a beam of energy and affects
whatever it is focused on, hence energy healing does not have to be hands-on. We have
an energy anatomy just as we have a physical anatomy The physical body can be
considered the densest expression of the human energy field. Changes in the human
energy field are expressed in the body in the course of time. Greater coherence, flow
and balance in the human energy field can facilitate healing.

Free flow of energy is essential to health and well-being. An individual with greater
coherence in the energy field can positively affect the energy field of someone whose
field is less coherent. The energy healer is able to enhance his/her own energy field
sufficiently to positively affect the energy field of the healee. Becoming centered and
thus creating greater coherence in our energy field not only promotes self-healing but is
the basis of using our energy field to support the healing of another. The healer can
influence the energy field of the healee in a variety of ways through the medium of
the hands, attention, and use of his/her own energy field.
A kind of resonance takes place between the two fields, set in motion by mutual
intention. Various models depict the energy field as being in layers, which include
layers which support the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of life.
Energy is the common denominator in all levels of human life; therefore energy healing
is automatically holistic. Energy healing involves one or more of the following:
Increasing the energy available to be used for healing, Facilitating the smooth flow of
energy throughout the energy field through removal of blocks or congestion, Altering
the quantity and/or quality of energy in various parts of the energy field, Creating
greater symmetry and balance in the energy field, and/or Restructuring the energy field

How Systems Differ

Many forms of energy healing therapies already exist, and more are being developed
all the time. The field of energy healing or energy work has a very wide range of
programs and focuses. This is partly due to the fact that healers have a wide variety of
backgrounds and natural gifts. Everyone has a different energetic makeup, and
healing will be expressed differently through different people. When a healer starts to
teach others, different techniques, structures and methods of teaching emerge.
TRAINING: APPRENTICESHIP VS. STANDARDIZED PROGRAM
Traditionally, healing was learned in an apprenticeship. Many people today still learn
healing through an apprenticeship with an experienced healer. There are now,
however, many programs which have been developed with a standardized kind of
method or curriculum, so that the training does not necessarily occur with the
originator of the program. Each way of learning has its value.
Standardized programs allow for large numbers of people to be trained in a particular
style, which can create a pool of healers using the same technique for the sake of
research. With a large group of people involved, organizations can be formed for
development of standards of practice, study and certification of healers. A successful
program can lead to public recognition and education about energy therapy. Those
trained in a particular method are brought into association with others who speak a
common language.
There are advantages also to learning as an apprentice. Study in an apprenticeship
involves a one-to-one relationship with the teacher allowing for a depth of learning that
may not be possible in a standardized curriculum. The learning can be tailored to the
apprentices specific strengths and weaknesses, and can take into account the
apprentices unique gifts. This can create a greater opportunity for intuitive
development. An apprenticeship also allows the student to come into more intimate
contact with and knowledge of the healer/teachers work.
SCIENTIFIC VS. SPIRITUAL UNDERPINNINGS
Some energy healing programs emerged from a more spiritual tradition, and some were
born from a more scientific approach. Often they have more in common than they
differ, despite the theoretical underpinnings. Even those which evolved within the
nursing profession with a strong scientific base, such as Healing Touch and
Therapeutic Touch, include reference to the spiritual levels of life. Most programs
recognize spiritual layers of the energy field. Energy healing actually provides an
arena where science and spirituality clearly meet.

Some energy healing systems have been created by healers with backgrounds in
conventional medicine. These programs have a structure and language which makes
them easy to integrate into the conventional medical system. There are also energy
healing programs which have little to do with the conventional medical system, and
may even have a very different focus, such as a focus on spiritual development or
planetary healing.
TECHNIQUES USED
A very obvious difference between programs is the actual techniques which are used.
Many programs use similar techniques, while some are quite unique. The Basic
Principles of Energy Healing describes the essential principles of how energy healing
works and what the techniques do, but the mechanics and form of the techniques
themselves can differ considerably. Techniques which involve the use of the hands are
the most easy to recognize and describe as they involve actual positions and
movements which can be seen. Energy healing can be accomplished through many
avenues, however. Since it always involves the interaction of the energy field of the
healer and healee, the work can be done without the use of hands.
In a sense, techniques are the most superficial aspect of an energy healing training. The
development of consciousness and qualities of presence of the healer, as well as the
healers energy field as an instrument of healing, is more essential and cannot be
captured in the description of a technique. Energy healing programs will usually
include specific techniques, but also training which develops the basic capacities of the
healer.
ATTUNEMENTS
Some programs include attunements. Reiki, which is probably the most common
form of energy healing, has attunements as part of its training. Attunements are meant
to open the student to healing energies, increase alignment with the universal mind
and make touch more potent.
While some people feel receiving attunements has been a vital part of developing the
capacity to heal, many people achieve equally satisfactory results without ever
receiving any kind of formal attunement. The majority of programs do not involve
attunements, but there will be some sort of process in the training which helps a
person to increase sensitivity to energies and open up to greater energetic flow and
higher energetic vibrations. This may simply happen as one automatically
resonates with the energy field of the teacher, or it may be facilitated by meditative
processes which enable one to enter a more centered and receptive state. Learning in a
group setting amplifies the energy of individuals, and there a innumerable other ways
that the expansion of healing capacity can occur.

TYPES OF ENERGY UTILIZED

Most programs make reference to some sort of universal life energy which has been
recognized in various cultures and traditions throughout time as chi, prana, shakti,
etc. Reiki, in fact, is often translated as universal life energy. Energy healing
commonly involves increasing the flow and quantity of energy. Although this is an
important part of energy healing, it is only one aspect. What occurs is actually a lot
more complex, and hasnt been fully understood or described by anyone at this time.
What can be said is that energy healing does not involve just one kind of energy or
energetic frequency. The writings of Alice Bailey describe a number of energies which
comprise the energy field, and two major categories of healing magnetic in which
prana (defined as vital planetary fluid) is channeled through the hands and
radiatory which involves a radiation of soul energy. This is only one example of
the many kinds of energy which may be involved in healing. Different programs may
involve both different energetic qualities or frequencies as well as varying
techniques for using them in the service of healing.
Note: In addition, energy healing is not just a matter of increasing quantity and flow of
energy. It can also involve balancing energies, which in some cases may be decreasing
the energy in some areas of the energy field while increasing it in others. It can also
involve re-patterning the flow of energy, as energy does flow in specific patterns and
these can be enhanced or restructured. Various models have been proposed to describe
the structure of the energy field (read below).
VARIATIONS IN MODELS OF ENERGY FIELD
Programs may have completely different models of the energy field with which they
work. Many programs use depictions of the energy field which have had a long history,
such as the chakra system. Others descriptions of the energy field have evolved more
recently. Barbara Brennans elaborate description of the human energy field in Hands
of Light has been adopted by many healers. Her model combines ancient
understandings with her own observations.
There are many other descriptions which are highly unique and it is possible some
represent structures of the field which are newly coming into being as a result of
evolution or which are simply not observed by most people due to the limitations of
their perceptions. (It requires development of the observers energy field to form a
basis for what is observed!) Peggy DuBro, founder of EMF balancing, for example,
describes a grid of energies which is unique.

Although not formally an energy healing program, the work of Sanaya Roman and
Duane Packer (in the Awakening Your Lightbody course), works with vibrational
energy body and lightbody centers which are described as being more subtle than,
and in a sense underlying, the functioning of the chakras. Working with these centers
does evoke a higher vibratory quality and seems to create coherence in the field more
readily than working with the chakras. Some programs make reference to higher, newer
frequencies that are becoming revealed or structured in the human energy field as well
as that of the planet itself.
The qualities of the energy field of the healer will add a lot of variation to the actual
effect of any particular healing, as there is much that is not accounted for by the models
described in different healing programs.
ASPECTS OF ENERGY FIELD ADDRESSED
Modalities and programs vary in terms of which aspects of the energy field are
addressed. Different techniques may be directed to different aspects of the energy
anatomy, for example, meridians, chakras, various layers of the field. The healing may
work with any of the following.
Meridians
Chakras major and minor, as traditionally described
Chakras those which are newly emerging or being discovered
Etheric (often said to be the first layer of the field, like an energetic blueprint)
Emotional energy body
Mental energy body
Astral layer (defined differently by various healers)
Causal body
Spiritual layers of energy field specifically the following 3 named by Barbara
Brennan in Hands of Light:
5th layer etheric template
6th layer celestial
7th layer ketheric template
Lightbody and vibrational energy bodies as described by Packer and Roman
Universal calibration lattice as described by Dubro
Various other models associated with diverse

Seven Essentials of Self-Healing 1. self-awareness including awareness of our

bodies, emotions, thought patterns, and the spiritual dimension of ourselves 2.
knowledge including knowledge of our body; the role that our emotions and beliefs
play in the functioning of our bodies; and of ways to bring greater health to all these
levels of our being 3. motivation a strong enough desire to have greater health and
well-being to motivate us to take action 4. self-love the ability receive and to care for
ourselves with kindness 5. courage the courage to move out of our comfort zone and
experience the feelings we have as we change 6. self-authority (or self-responsibility)
being responsible for our own decisions regarding our self-care as opposed to
relying solely on the opinion of authorities 7. self-care taking practical steps to heal
is essential, but without the first six essentials we wont do this in an effective,
consistent way
The healing journey is ultimately one of self-healing. The body is a marvelous selfhealing mechanism. It contains the knowledge of how to function properly and bring
itself back into balance. Our job is to learn to align ourselves with the natural, healing
processes of nature. A healer may help to bring us into alignment, but it is ultimately
up to us to integrate and sustain the results of the healing. A good healer will empower
you in your own self-healing rather than create a dependency on their healing work.
Being able to reach out and receive help is crucial to healing, but equally important is
the ability to follow through with good self-care. In the long run, developing and
exercising our ability to self-heal will bring the most lasting and significant change.
Heart of healing . net

So Secured
Posted by haw

So secured
I cannot see
curtains are dark
visions of daylight obscured
protected from whats out side
Yet I hear Life bustling around
Birds chirp I barely see them
far off as I am, high off the ground
hidden in my tower
trickling off the roof I see the rain
looking down, the mist
gathering on my red rose flower
I am secured
and cannot be seen
but I do not feel free
as I know is so much more to see
I imagine and dream
a majestic theme
I place myself within
and escape to my own world
until another day begins..
Shadow

A SUFI STORY
Posted by NAMASTE

Junaid was going through the market-place of the town with his disciples. And it was
his way to take any situation and use it. A man was dragging his cow by a rope, and
Junaid said Wait to the man, and told his disciples Surround this man and the cow. I
am going to teach you something.
The man stopped Junaid was a famous mystic and he was also interested in what he
was going to teach these disciples and how he was going to use him and the cow.
And Junaid asked his disciples I ask you one thing: who is bound to whom? Is the cow
bound to this man or is this man bound to this cow? Of course, the disciples said The
cow is bound to the man. The man is the master, he is holding the rope, and the cow
has to follow him wherever he goes. He is the master and the cow is the slave.
And Junaid said Now, see. He took out his scissors and cut the rope and the cow
escaped.
The man ran after the cow, and Junaid said Now look what is happening! Now you see
who the master is; the cow is not interested at all in this man in fact, she is escaping.
And the man was very angry, he said What kind of experiment is this?
But Junaid said to his disciples .And this is the case with your mind.! All the nonsense
that you are carrying inside is not interested in you. You are interested in it, you are
keeping it together somehow you are becoming mad in keeping it together somehow.
But you are interested in it. The moment you lose interest, the moment you understand
the futility of it, it will start disappearing; like the cow it will escape.
People come to me and ask How to stop this mad mind? I say There is no need to
stop; all that is needed is that you become disinterested in it and the rope is cut.
That is the meaning of sannyas: become disinterested in the mind.
That is the meaning of real vairagya, detachment.
It has nothing to do with renouncing the world, but it certainly has something to do
with cutting the rope to the mind.

Just become disinterested in the rubbish and slowly you will see a gap arising.
The cloud that used to surround you always is getting farther and farther away
and, one day, suddenly it is no more there.
And when you are left without mind, that is the state of spiritual perception,
that is the state of darshan, that is the state when you can see, you have eyes;
otherwise your eyes are so full of smoke you cannot see.

Besom Magick
Posted by Whispr

Throughout history, the besom is traditionally linked

to Witchcraft, and "flying Witches".
It is still widely used today in magick ritual,
to "sweep" the psychic dirt away, cleanse the circle, or ritual area.
There are many explanations for the idea that Witches can fly on broomsticks, one
popular belief being that Witches often used the mandrake root for pain relief. And to
be graphic, menstruation pain.
(Mandrake contains scopalamine, which is (along with atropine) also found in thorn
apple/belladonna. Both were commonly used in 'witches potions' to induce out of
body experiences.)
The root would be concocted into a paste which seeped through the skin when applied
to relieve the pain. It was often rubbed in the armpit area, or for vaginally, applied
with the handle of the broom. Being highly hallucinogenic, this may have given the
feeling or "flight" or "riding the broomstick".
It is also said that in the times of the Witch hunts, that the Church wanted to spread
fear surrounding Witches, and during those times, what better way that to accuse them
of having the ability to fly.
Whatever the reason, the broomstick, or "besom" is still a widely used tool in Pagan
rite, and often used in blessings of fertility.
Besom or Wiches Broom
Besom As A Fertility Symbol
The old picture of the witch riding around on the broom's stick casting magic spells is
believed to have come from a agricultural fertility rite, where the women rode around
the fields(like on a hobby horse), with the broom between their legs, hoping to bring
the farmers a good harvest.

Jumping The Broom

Many pagan traditions have the bridal couple, jump across the broom, a symbol of
fertility (old bit of agricultural fertility magic), to signify the establishment of their new
household. The brooms are usually decorated for the occasion and then kept in a place
of honor in the home.
In many Wicca handfasting(marriage) rituals, couples often jump over the broom if
they want children.
Historically, brooms made great gifts for weddings or handfastings. Just add a little
ribbon, some flowers, and your are good to go. No wrapping needed. Every new home
needs a new broom!
The Ritual Broom
Witches use brooms in magick and ritual. The pagan broom or "besom" is used in ritual
for cleansing the general circle or ritual area. The besom is sweeping away the psychic
dirt, getting the area purified for the ritual at hand.
A Witch may begin a ritual by sweeping the area with the magick broom, visualising
the psychic dirt being swept out of the ritual area. The sweeping also helps to get the
mind ready for the ritual, quieting the mind and narrowing the focus for the witch. The
besom is a purifier and is related to the element of Water.

Finding Other Witches

Besoms have been used by Witches to indicate to other occultists that they were
resident, or at work, by placing a besom (broom) outside the door. This is NOT to say
that anyone who has a kitchen broom sitting outside their door is a witch.
Besoms, As A Symbol Of Protection
Many Witches keep a besom by their door, or hanging from their door to protect the
home from unwanted outside energies.
Some folklore of the besom
An old English Saying:
"Buy a broom in May, and you will sweep your friends away."

An old Yorkshire belief:

should a young girl inadvertently step over
a broom handle she will become, a mother before she becomes a wife. Never sweep
after the sunset, or fear chasing away happiness
or hurting a wandering soul.
Brooms laid across the doorways are believed to keep evil out.
Never use a broom when there is a dead person in the house.
Never bring old brooms into new houses
as a broom becomes attached to houses
so leave the old one behind.
"Makin a Besom"
Here are some easy to follow directions for handcrafting your own besom by Edain. If
you would like a Besom of your own, they are fairly easy to find in craft stores, country
markets, or folk art fairs. You can also invest your energies into making one, a good
idea if you wish to use it in place of a Wand or other ritual tool.
To make a Besom you will need a four-foot dowel one inch in diameter, a ball of twine,
scissors, and straw or other long strands of pliable herbs.
Take the straw, or another herb you have chosen for the bristles, and allow them to
soak overnight in warm, lightly salted water. The water softens the straws to make
them pliable, and the salt soaks out former energies.
When you are ready to make your Besom, remove the straws from the water and allow
them to dry a bit, but not so much that they lose the suppleness you will need to turn
them into your Besom.
Find a work area where you can lay out the length of your dowel, and begin lining the
straws alongside the dowel. Starting about three inches from the bottom, lay the
straws, moving backward, along the length of the dowel. Begin binding these to the
dowel with the twine.
You will need to tie them very securely. You can add as many layers of straw as you
wish, depending on how full you would like your Besom to be.

When the straw is secured, bend the top straws down over the twine ties. When they
The dowel part of the Besom can be stained, painted, or decorated with Pagan symbols,
your Craft name, or any other embellishments you choose. Dedicate your finished
Besom in your Circle as you would any other ritual tool. ~From Edain McCoy's book
The Sabbats: A New Approach to Living the Old Ways (C) 1994.
BESOM CHANTS
Most covens, start their rituals with a ritual sweep with their besom to begin the
process of sweeping out negative energies and bringing in the good energies. This is
part of creating sacred space. Many witches feel their besoms/brooms carry energies
with it as well. I have several sacred besoms and feel they are full of energy from the
many Circles they have been used to sweep with and simply by being in ritual with
me. I have one particular besom hanging in my moon/sun room which I purchased in
Salem, Massachusetts and when I pass it each day, I actually chat to it and touch it. It is
very special to me and very magickal from the energies it picked up with its stay in
Salem. We Witches are weird lots, I must say! I have another besom which has been
with me during my days as a Handmaiden to my High Priestess in a Wiccan coven and
through my degrees of elevation.
There are a lot of witches who feel that the besom is just as sacred or more sacred than
some of their tools. After all, that is what we witches are known by. During rituals, we
dance around with our brooms as if we were flying, as they are our partners. Our
besoms are very sacred to us and are placed some place special when ritual is over
with. We hang our besoms by the fire place on a nail so that the besom does not touch
the ground. We name all our magickal tools but in truth to some witches their staff,
wand and besom are most sacred to them.
Dating back as far as ancient Egypt, the besom (pronounced beh-sum) was once a
wooden staff with a fan of feathers. Used for protection and purification purposes, a
magick broom is made of straw or grass tied around with a leafy branch of pine, oak,
fir, lavender or rosemary. It is used to clean your ritual circle of unwanted energies.
Called the "Faery's Horse," your magick broom can be used for astral traveling.
Different kinds of brooms are used for different things. For example, hawthorn besoms
are best for handfasting. Oak besoms can be used as a powerful tools for personal
protection and to draw in ancestral energies and knowledge. You can also put magickal
herbs on and around your broom for the different kinds of magick. I have three
different kinds of brooms in my cottage and each are very dear to me as mentioned
above.

Below are some chants you can memorize to do your ritual sweep and let your besom
fly~!
Witches broom swift in flight
Cast out darkness, bring in light
Earth be hallow, air be clear
fire bright, as water heals
A sacred bridge this site shall be
~As my will, so mote it be~
Sweep out evil, sweep out ill,
Where I do the Lady's will.
Besom, besom, Lady's Broom
Sweep out darkness, sweep out doom.
~So Be It! Blessed Be~
This Circle I sweep with besom of Heather;
All harmful and evil must vanish and scatter.
This Circle I sweep with besom of Heather;
~All peaceful and good are invited to enter~
Besom, besom long and lithe
Made from ash and willow withe
Tied with thongs of willow bark
In running stream at moonset dark
As the ritual fire is lighted;
Sweep ye circle, deosil,
Sweep out evil, sweep out ill.
Make the round of the ground
Where we do the Ladys will.
Besom, besom, Ladys broom
Sweep out darkness, sweep out doom
Rid ye Ladys hallowed ground
Of demons, imps, and Hells red hound.
Then set ye down on Her green earth
By running stream or Mistress hearth,
~To cleanse once more the dancing site~
With each sweeping motion, imagine the area being washed energetically with a cobalt
blue light, as you say any one of the chants

Earth Healing Meditation

Posted by Whispr

1. Become peaceful and loving. Feel the energy of your essence and just relax all of your
body. Think of the Earth and all that she give us, her beauty and abundance and the
experience she affords us and know that we are truly one and connected.
2. Ask the Father/Mother/Universe, the Masters and Teachers and Great Light Beings of
creation and our planet, The Angelic Beings, Earth, our guides, our higher selves and
our entire soul stream energies to come and assist us in this personal and earth
healing/communication work. Ask that this be done outside the realm of space and
time so that all can join together and call in all of the higher selves of others
participating in the group meditation.
3. Imagine yourself reaching out and joining hands with others in the group until we
are all connected as one in this work.
4. Ask the Father/Mother/Universe to send the right high light to create a channel from
the central sun and beyond to you so as to bring forth a pure energy of Divine Intent
and light to the you, for healing and so that love will abound.
5. Feel this light come into your head to your heart filling it and when you are filled
send it forth into creation and into the central sun and beyond to the place beyond
individualization and into the heart of All There Is so that there is a cord of light from
your heart to the All There Is presence, and feel it anchor itself there. Take that cord
and open it up to be a channel and ask that this light flow freely through it as needed
and for the good of all. Feel it become an actual channel of this light flowing through
you, healing you with its love (the first pyramid corner).
6. Next ask for the right high light to create a channel of light from your own I Am
presence ( I think some people call it the Monad...not sure on this), where you are first
individualized from the Father/Mother/Universe so that this channel can aid you in
remembering and integrating more of this energy and all that you came to do and are.
Once again feel the light come into your head and flow into your heart filling it. Once
filled you send out this light cord to your I Am Presence (almost like the second corner
of a pyramid) and open it to become a channel. Ask that this light flow freely through
this channel healing, and aiding and assisting you in a greater integration and
remembering.

7. Next ask for the right high light to create a channel of light to our own sun so that the
energies that are constantly fluctuating are easily integrated within our physical bodies
and that a greater experience of ourselves be fully grounded here in this reality for our
benefit and the good of all as we affect changes here and now that will aid us in
bringing the changes to ourselves and the planet in accordance with Divine Will and
our own higher purpose. See this light then come into your head filling your heart.
Once filled you will send it to the sun, opening it until it becomes a channel. Ask that
the light flow freely as needed and appropriate for this intention. (the third pyramid
corner)
8. Next ask for the right high light to create a channel to the sixth dimension and
beyond so that the appropriate energies needed for our movement and growth to where
we are going be easily accessed and our journey to where we are going be clearly
anchored and more fully brought into effect (they like me to anchor always to the sixth
dimension and beyond because they say that we won't be as long in the next dimension
as we were in this one before we ascend so we are clearing the way for the future as
well as making a really clear and open channel to where we are currently going and
bringing in light for our assistance as well when we get there). Feel this light come into
your head and fill your heart. Once filled send it out to the sixth dimension and
opening it as a channel. Ask that this light flow freely for your intention (the fourth
wall of the pyramid).
9. Sit for a minute and feel the light flow through you from the four channels and feel it
filling your body as you will be consciously holding and sharing this energy with
yourself and the Earth. Ask then for the right high light to further open these channel
and connect this channel from your heart, running it down your body and into the Earth
herself to aid you in grounding these energies, aid her in healing, and to unlock the
energies and information that are appropriate and necessary for your personal and
planetary journey. Imagine your heart as the apex of the pyramid of energy and as such
an amplifier for her as well.
Take this energy in your heart and beam it to the center of the earth until this channel is
anchored deep within her. See her fill with this energy from your heart and the
channels you have placed into it as it opens wide to fill her. Watch her fill easily with
this energy since it is being so perfectly amplified in your heart and when she is filled
and so is everything right on out through her atmosphere sit for a moment and just
enjoy the wonderful energies and sharing you are both experiencing and will continue
to experience. Know that if you ever need assistance that you may ask her for it for she
will have this energy available for you as well and if you are having a difficult time
connecting to it ask that she help you to do so.

State then to all of creation your intention to make this connection a permanent one
until your spirit directs otherwise....and state with the truth of your being and the power
of the great being that you are "So be it and so it is".
10. Ask then all that have assisted you to further assist you in the retrieval of the
information currently available to you and that you be given it then, the next day, or
over the next few days (this is up to you-all or a combination is probably best). thank all
that came for this work and lent their light, love, aid and assistance.
11. When you are ready ask that this information be given to you. If it is not at this time
then you just may want to get loving, peaceful and relaxed. Ask to make this connection
and receive the information that is now waiting and see what you get. You may also
receive things during the day, maybe when cleaning or whenever. Keep an eye out for it
because you have made it so and it will be coming.

SHARING YOUR GIFT

WITH OTHERS
Posted by Kate

Living Potential
The gifts we are born with and those that we work to develop throughout our lives vary
in form and function. Some we find use for every day while others are only useful in
specific circumstances. Yet many times we overlook opportunities to share our unique
gifts with others. It may be fear of criticism that holds us back or the paralyzing weight
of uncertainty. Ultimately, we doubt that our innate talents and practiced skills can truly
add value to others lives. But it is the world as a whole that benefits when we willingly
share our gifts. Whether you have been blessed with the ability to awaken beautiful
emotions in others through art or industry, or your aptitudes transmit more practical
advantages, your gifts are a part of who you are. As you make use of those gifts as best
you can, be assured that your contribution to worldly well-being will not be overlooked.
Your personal power is defined in part by your gifts. To use your talents is to
demonstrate to the world that you understand yourself and are truly attuned to your
capabilities. Your earthly existence provides you with ample opportunity to explore your
purpose, to utilize your skills in a life-affirming way, and to positively touch the lives of
others while doing so. Yet you may feel that your gifts are not as valuable or worthy of
attention as those of others and thus hide them away.
However, every gift lying dormant in your soul has the potential to fill a void in
someone elses life. Just as your existence is made richer by the love, support, friendship,
aid, and compassion of others, so, too, can you add richness to their lives. Your natural
ability to soothe hurt, inspire compassion, bake, dance, knit, organize, or think outside
the box can be a boon to someone in need.
As you embrace your gifts and allow their light to shine, you will discover that more and
more opportunities to make use of them arise. This is because your gifts are a channel
through which the universe operates. By simply doing what you are good at and also
love to do, you make a positive difference. The recognition you receive for your efforts
will pale in comparison to the satisfaction you feel when fulfilling your innate potential.

Shifting into Winter

with Gratitude
Posted by Hedral
The trees and plants have laid down to sleep for a few months. My work outside is
completed until Spring. My house and little hollow are prepared for winter. Daylight
ends in the early evening. I am settling in, making peace with the season.
For most of my adult life I have dreaded and almost despised winter. I blame winter
for any discomfort, malaise, losses and inconvenience that occurred in the previous
chapter to my life. My "Inner Guidance" has called upon me to explore the
possibilities of this season like never before. I choose to process the real or imagined
hardships that I associate with winter. To do this I need to acknowledge where I am in
this moment.
My life circumstances have improved immeasurably in ways I never expected. By
contemplating each and everything I am grateful for; I realize that a lot of my attitudes
about winter are influenced by the struggles, losses, hardships and discomfort of years
gone by. I have locked myself in a jail cell of my own making..a jail cell of despising
winter.
I will begin consciously changing my perception of this season by reviewing my
gratitude list everyday and employing all the tools I know. With Meditation, Reiki,
Journeying I will continue to process the emotional pain that I perceive winter to brings
me.
I am ready for this. I will have the best season ever as I shift into winter with gratitude.

Lido Restaurant
Winter Vegetable Soup
Posted by Rev. Carol A. Ingle (Raven)

Lido Restaurant Winter Vegetable Soup

2 cups sliced leeks, white part only, cleaned and sliced into 1/4-inch strips (from about 3
whole)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
2 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
4 1/2 cups diced boiling potatoes (from a scant 2 pounds), peeled and diced into 1/4 inch cubes
1 1/2 cups diced parsnips (3 to 4 whole), peeled and diced into 1/4 - inch cubes
1 celery root (about 1 pound), peeled and diced into 1/4 - inch cubes
1 quart chicken broth, more as desired
Salt and white pepper
1 cup heavy cream
White truffle oil
In a medium heavy-bottom soup pot heated over medium-high heat, saute the leeks in
the butter until tender, 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, and being careful not to burn
the butter. Stir in the thyme and bay leaves and continue to cook until aromatic, about 1
minute.
Stir in the potatoes, parsnips, celery root and broth and bring the mixture to a good
simmer. Season with one-half teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper, or to taste. Cook
until the parsnips begin to become tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to a gentle
simmer and stir in the cream. Continue to cook until all of the vegetables are tender, an
additional 5 to 10 minutes. Remove and discard the
thyme sprigs and bay leaves.
Pure the soup until smooth using a blender or immersion blender. Strain the soup
through a fine mesh strainer and season as desired with additional salt and pepper. Add
the truffle oil, a few drops at a time, to taste.
Ladle the soup into bowls and serve immediately.
Serves 6-8

How to grow herbs indoors

during winter
Posted by Rev. Carol A. Ingle (Raven)

How to grow herbs indoors during winter want a fresh supply of herbs all winter long?
It's simple to grow them indoors.
Purple Ruffles basil, lemon thyme, Kent Beauty oregano, and chives are happy growing
together in a large planter, because they have similar cultural needs.
By Doreen Howard
Im potting up herbs this week to bring indoors so Ill have a fresh and steady supply
throughout my long winter. Pots of chives, thyme, and tarragon turn meals into gourmet
fare and my kitchen window into a green view. They save money, too.
All you need are containers, the right potting mix, good light, and herbs that require
similar growing conditions.
A word of caution about selecting them; not all herbs grow well indoors.
Cilantro and dill, for example, decline rapidly, even in a sun-drenched window.
Both need to be started from seed every few weeks, because they dont regenerate new
growth after being cut.
Best herbs for indoors the hardiest herbs indoors coincidentally provide the widest
array of flavors for cooking. Five herbs that thrive in a sunny window -- oregano, chives,
mint, rosemary, and thyme -- will flavor everything from soups, salads, meat, fish, and
poultry to teas and Italian foods.
I like to group all of them, except mint, together in planters for windowsill display and
ease of care.
Mint does best in its own pot, because it needs extra nitrogen to build aroma and flavor
in the leaves.
Basil does well for me, too, in intense light; I grow it under plant lights with my orchid
collection.

Give all herbs as much light as possible. A south-facing window provides enough for
most. Many east- or west-facing ones do, too.
Add a grow light or fluorescent fixture hung above plants to supplement light in
dimmer windows. Leave lights on 14 to 16 hours daily in winter months to compensate
for the weaker sun of the season. Use an inexpensive timer to turn them on and off.
Plant herbs in a lightweight potting mix, with added perlite or coarse sand and add a
pinch of lime. Most herbs prefer sweet soil with a higher pH. Sage is the exception.
Because it likes acidic soil, add extra peat moss to its potting mix.
Check plants every day, and water when soil is dry a half inch under the surface. Feed
every two weeks with a balanced water-soluble fertilizer at the recommended rate listed
on the package label.
Indoor herbs grow slowly in winter months, so reduce fertilizer amounts to a quarter of
normal from Oct. 15 until March 15.
Tips for Success
* Start with herb plants. Seeds take time to sprout and mature into usable-size plants.
* Dont allow plants to touch cold windows. Foliage will freeze, and plants may die.
* Plant herbs with the same cultural requirements in a single container. If they have
different needs, pot them up separately.
* Pinch back branching herbs such as rosemary to keep plants shrubby rather than
leggy. Regular harvesting of leaves and stems also forces plants to stay shrubby. Never
trim more than a third of the plant, though.
* Remove flower buds from plants to keep them growing.
* Mulch containers with coarse sand, small pebbles, or aquarium gravel to avoid gnat
infestations. The insects will not be able to burrow into potting mix to lay eggs or rest.

csmonitor.com

A Prayer for
the Beginning of Winter
Posted by Rev. Carol A. Ingle (Raven)
A Prayer for the Beginning of Winter
In early winter, we can see the skies becoming overcast, and smell
fresh snow in the air. Take a few minutes to think about the fact
that even if the skies are cold and dark, it's only temporary.
See the gray skies overhead, preparing the way
for the darkness soon to come.
See the gray skies overhead, preparing the way,
for the world to go cold and lifeless.
See the gray skies overhead, preparing the way
for the longest night of the year.
See the gray skies overhead, preparing the way
for the sun to one day return,
bringing with it light.

ORANGE AND CARROT SOUP

- RECIPE
Posted by

BZ

Ingredients
* 600 ml water
* 450 g carrots, prepared weight
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 1 sprig fresh mint
* 3 sage leaves
* 1 tbsp orange rind, grated
* 1 tsp black pepper
* 300 ml fresh orange juice
For the garnish:
* 1 small orange, cut into segments
* 10 small mint leaves
* 3 tbsp single cream
Method
1. Bring the water to boiling point and add the carrots, onion, mint, sage, orange zest
and seasoning.
2. Lower the heat, cover the pan and cook for 10-15 minutes, until the vegetables are
tender.
3. Remove the mint and sage, transfer the soup to a blender and blend the soup until
smooth.
4. If serving the soup hot, reheat, taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with orange
segments, a sprig of mint and a swirl of cream.
5. To serve cold, chill the soup and then add the orange juice. Garnish and serve

ARE YOU
A PHYSICAL EMPATH?
Posted by Charlene 'White Deer' Heathwood
by Judith Orloff MD)
Empathic illnesses are those in which you manifest symptoms that are not your own.
Many patients have come to me labeled agoraphobic with panic disorders, chronic
depression, fatigue, pain, or mysterious ailments that respond only partially to
medications or psychotherapy. Some were nearly housebound or ill for years.
Theyd all say, I dread being in crowds. Other peoples anger, stress, and pain drain
me, and I need a lot of alone time to refuel my energy. When I took a close history of
all these patients I found that they were what I call physical empaths: people whose
bodies are so porous they absorb the symptoms of others. I relate because I am one.
Physical empaths do not have the defenses that others have to screen things out.
As a psychiatrist, knowing this significantly changed how I treated these patients. My
job became teaching them to center and protect themselves, set healthy boundaries,
and let go of energy they picked up from others.
To determine if you are a physical empath take the following quiz.
Quiz: Am I a Physical Empath?
Ask yourself:
Have I been labeled as overly sensitive or a hypochondriac?
Have I ever sat next to someone who seemed nice but suddenly my eyelids got
heavy and I felt like taking a nap?
Do I feel uneasy, tired, or sick in crowds and avoid them?
Do I feel someone elses anxiety or physical pain in my body?
Do I feel exhausted by angry or hostile people?
Do I run from doctor to doctor for medical tests, but Im told Youre fine.
Am I chronically tired or have many unexplained symptoms
Do I frequently feel overwhelmed by the world and want to stay home?

If you answered yes to 1-3 questions you are at least part empath. Responding yes to
4 to 5 questions indicates you have moderate degree of physical empathy. 6 to 7
yeses indicate you have a high degree of empathy. Eight yeses indicate you are a full
blown empath.
Discovering that you are a physical empath can be a revelation. Rest assured: You are
not crazy. You are not a malingerer or hypochondriac. You are not imagining things,
though your doctor might treat you like a nuisance. You are a sensitive person with a
gift that you must develop and successfully manage.
Strategies to Surrender Toxic Energy
Physical empathy doesnt have to overwhelm you. Now that I can center myself and
refrain from taking on other peoples pain, empathy has made my life more
compassionate, insightful, and richer. Here are some secrets to thriving as a physical
empath that Ive learned so that it doesnt take a toll on my health.
A Survival Guide for Empaths: 9 Strategies To Stop Absorbing Other Peoples Illness
and Pain (from The Ecstasy of Surrender)
Evaluate. First, ask yourself: Is this symptom or emotion mine or someone else's? It
could be both. If the emotion such as fear or anger is yours, gently confront what's
causing it on your own or with professional help. If its not yours, try to pinpoint the
obvious generator.
Move away. When possible, distance yourself by at least twenty feet from the
suspected source. See if you feel relief. Don't err on the side of not wanting to offend
strangers. In a public place, don't hesitate to change seats if you feel a sense of disease imposing on you.
Know your vulnerable points. Each of us has a body part that is more vulnerable to
absorbing others stress. Mine is my gut. Scan your body to determine yours. Is it you
neck? Do you get sore throats? Headaches? Bladder infections? At the onset of
symptoms in these areas, place your palm there and keep sending loving-kindness to
that area to soothe discomfort. For longstanding depression or pain, use this method
daily to strengthen yourself. It's comforting and builds a sense of safety and
optimism.

Surrender to your breath. If you suspect you are picking up someone elses
symptoms, concentrate on your breath for a few minutes. This is centering and
connects you to your power.
Practice Guerilla Meditation. To counter emotional or physical distress, act fast and
meditate for a few minutes. Do this at home, at work, at parties, or conferences. Or,
take refuge in the bathroom. If its public, close the stall. Meditate there. Calm
yourself. Focus on positivity and love.
Set healthy limits and boundaries. Control how much time you spend listening to
stressful people, and learn to say no. Remember, no is a complete sentence.
Visualize protection around you. Visualize an envelope of white light around your
entire body. Or with extremely toxic people, visualize a fierce black jaguar patrolling
and protecting your energy field against intruders.
Develop X ray vision. The spaces between the vertebrae in your lower back
(lumbar spine) are conducive to eliminating pain from the body. Its helpful to learn
to mindfully direct pain out of these spaces by visualizing it leaving your body. Say
goodbye to pain as it blends with the giant energy matrix of life!
Take a bath or shower. A quick way to dissolve stress is to immerse yourself in
water. My bath is my sanctuary after a busy day. It washes away everything from bus
exhaust to long hours of air travel to pesky symptoms I have taken on from others.
Soaking in natural mineral springs divinely purifies all that ails.
Keep practicing these strategies. By protecting yourself and your space, you can
create a magical safe bubble around you that nurtures you, while simultaneously
driving negative people away. Dont panic if you occasionally pick up pain or some
other nasty symptom. It happens.
With strategies I discuss in my book to surrender other peoples symptoms you can
have quicker responses to stressful situations. This will make you feel safer,
healthier, and your sensitivities can blossom.

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