Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Recipe: Chocolate Adaptabili-Tea Balls


Chocolate Adaptabili-Tea Balls
1c. nut butter of choice (such as almond or cashew)
1 c. raw, local honey
1 oz Adaptabili-Tea, ground & sifted
1 c.+ cocoa powder

Mix the honey & nut butter together thoroughly. Add the powdered herbs and combine evenly. Add cocoa powder until you have a knead-able dough consistency. Roll into 1” balls. Can coat in additional cocoa powder, if desired.

FRANKINCENSE: Essential Oil of the Month


Frankincense is a wonderful oil to use when you want to feel connected spiritually, as the case may be this holiday season.
Frankincense is the dried resin from the Boswellia tree. The resin is burned as incense, and often incense in stick form is made from it. The scent is said to be very uplifting spiritually- some say it can help you feel connected to the Divine. The resin is anti-inflammatory and can be used for a variety of ailments, such as arthritis. The essential oil contains constituents that help reduce feelings of stress and anxiety, while enhancing mood and memory. It can work against aging, by reducing the appearance of wrinkles and other spots, as well as increasing the skin's elasticity. It can be used for cleaning, as it eliminates both surface and airborne bacteria. It can both disinfect and tighten pores, therefore being helpful with the effective healing of cuts, scars and wounds. When inhaled, it can work to encourage easy breathing, clearing the nasal passageways.
Being a strong anti-inflammatory oil, it can reduce redness, itching, and swelling, and is known to soothe inflamed skin. It can also stimulate growth of new cells and help with circulation and blood flow.
Be sure to always dilute essential oils before applying to the skin. Never ingest essential oils, as they are very potent and can damage the liver if used without caution. Avoid frankincense essential oil if pregnant or nursing.




by Theresa Musatto

AMETHYST: Gemstone of the Month


Amethyst can be a wonderful ally in this season where many traditions celebrate their connection with Divinity.
Considered a stone that helps support one's connection with the Divine, Amethyst can be a helpful tool if you would like to feel connected to something greater than yourself. If you are seeking clarity, feeling lost or disconnected, this stone may assist you in feeling united again. One of the most known of all the gemstones, amethyst is in the quartz family and is often readily recognizable by its sparkling purple that can range from so dark it's opaque, to as clear as pure quartz. The stone has a rich and long history of variety of uses, mainly that of connecting one with their version of a higher power, and enhancing clarity and spiritual vision. “Amethystos” is a Greek word that means “not drunk”, and was seen in ancient Greece as a protection against drunkenness. Holding the stone was thought to help one find the clarity needed without drinking and reigned in any impulse towards overindulgence. In the same manner, amethyst is a great tool for anyone trying to break any bad habit. It is also a very purifying stone and helps to protect from negative energies. With the clarity amethyst gives, it can also enhance intuition. It is said that holding an amethyst or having amethyst in one's environment, can give one a feeling of being in a “bubble of light”. It is also known for bringing people into awareness of the angelic realm. It can connect you deeply with your soul, and you may feel more understanding about your path and direction.

“.. it is a stone of spiritual protection and purification.. It can be an aid to curbing overindulgence and giving up bad habits. It can be used to assist one in quitting smoking, drinking or drug use. It stimulates the chrown chakra and is an aid to meditation, helping to still one's thoughts and move into higher states of consciousness. It can clear one's energy field of negative influences and attachments and can thereby facilitate the creation of an energetic 'shield'- a field of spiritual Light around the body that wards off the negativity in one's environment.”- Robert Simmons


“Amethyst facilitates, mediates, and engenders communion and communication with one's guides and angels. It assists one in surrendering to the Divine and assuming one's spiritual power as a creation of that Divine being.”

- Naisha Ashian



by Theresa Musatto

HAWTHORN: Herb of the Month


The season can be for many, about bringing a more heart-centered awareness, with gratitude and the giving of gifts. Hawthorn fits perfectly into this season, as it is a main heart herb, both physically and emotionally. The physical effects are documented and extensive. Emotionally, it can give you the “Christmas morning feeling”, both warming your heart and making you feel more relaxed.
Hawthorn, also called thornapple, is a thorny shrub or small tree belonging to the rose family, and is native to the north temperate zone. It is a tree that has long thorns and small red (or ranging from yellow to black) berries that are a bit tangy and are packed with nutrition. The leaves, berries, and flowers are used as medicine. Known best as a heart medicine, hawthorn also has a variety of other medicinal properties. It is an all around heart herb- besides its astonishing ability to regulate blood pressure, it has been shown to help with conditions such as angina and heart failure.
The berry is also known to activate bile and gastric secretions, which aids in the digestion of stagnant food in the GI track, especially food that is rich in protein or fat. The berries are packed with antioxidants and also contain a variety of compounds that help gut flora to improve digestion of nutrients.

Hawthorn has a very rich history in the Celtic tradition, where it was considered a portal to the realm of Fae, and it was written about in many different myths around the world. It's known as one of the oldest medicinal plants that has a written history. It was prescribed as a remedy for heart problems by the ancient Greek physician Dioscorides in the first century AD. 

While hawthorn is generally considered safe and has been consumed as a food in jams and syrups throughout history, it's always best to consult your doctor before using hawthorn medicinally if you are on a heart medication.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Book Spotlight: I Don't Want to Be an Empath Anymore by Ora North

Do you feel all the feels—all the time? Are you fed up with the mainstream spiritual “love and light” scene that calls for constant positivity, even in the face of true loss, trauma, and pain? If so, this book is for you.
I Don’t Want to Be an Empath Anymore is a gift for the jaded empath searching for authenticity in spirituality, and spirituality in being authentic—something beyond the clichéd, positive affirmations that seem to invalidate our anger, sadness, and pain. When we feel broken—and when real damage has been done, it’s not always helpful to ignore our feelings and tell ourselves that we are perfect and whole.
In this refreshingly honest guide, shamanic practitioner Ora North offers practical exercises to help you navigate your intuition and empathic sensitivities, create much-needed boundaries, and build confidence. You’ll also learn to balance your emotions and energy, and harness the strength of your shadow side to embrace your whole self and live your best life.
Like the Japanese craft known as Kintsugi—the art of repairing broken pottery using a lacquer dusted with powdered gold—the process of acknowledging and repairing our fragmented selves can make us even more beautiful than before, cracks and all. In this book, you won’t find platitudes or attempts to whitewash your experiences. What you will find are real, practical tools and guidance to help you make the most of your unique abilities.

I Ching, a Tradition, By: Amy Chris Keiper, also known as the writer, L.C. Harrison

I Ching has become a cross cultural philosophical creation, that has been used for centuries to promote connection with higher consciousness. Created during the Zhou (Chou) dynasty in China, I Ching has roots in Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. I Ching is a type of cleromancy based on numbers in connection with the ancient texts of the Book of Changes/I Ching (Yijing). In the Xia dynasty, I Ching was utilized by Rulers to find guidance by connecting with the Spirits of Nature and Ancestors. Dr. Carl Jung utilized the I Ching in his therapy sessions. Jung felt that the symbolism in the I Ching was supportive in healing with a focus on the conscious and the unconscious, the realm of consciousness (the psyche). I Ching is a meditative tool that supports connection with the higher consciousness for guidance, wisdom, and self-realization.

The practice of counting to build the hexagrams for I Ching to consult the texts with coins, sticks, etc. can be meditative. I Ching is viewed as supportive in making better decisions in helping to reduce doubt, creating focus and clarity by the meditative practice and in forming clear questions, promoting a broader perspective by setting aside emotions during the meditative practice, and reducing stress as the mind relaxes for focus. As a tradition, I Ching is viewed as a way to observe patterns in change, that there is always change, and as a way to understand the inner self in relation to life choices.

I Ching has come to have a tradition, where it is practiced by families at the time of the New Year for guidance in the coming year. Questions are worded in a “Would this be Beneficial” manner. Traditionally each person may ask up to three questions, which may be a daily practice. The same question should not be re-asked within the same week. Although I Ching has been utilized as a tool of communicating with ancestors, I Ching is traditionally viewed as sourced from the higher consciousness (the divine).

Overall, this ancient practice is a way to understanding the self, healing the inner spirit through realization, and adapting the benefits of meditation into your life with added insight. In the promotion of broader self perspectives, open-minded approaches, and clarity for the understanding of change as a constant, I Ching is a healing tool for decision making, awareness, and the inner self.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

After Wrapping All The Gifts, Wrap Yourself Up!

A Bavarian monk named Father Sebastian Kneipp developed an herbal wrap treatment along with his practice of hydrotherapy and herbal regimens. He used layers of hot, herbal-scented towels, similar to the aromatic body wraps of today.
You can save hundreds of dollars and enjoy this technique in your own home. Few materials are needed. A large plastic or vinyl sheet that is waterproof, along with a blanket, large beach towel and a 12-ounce spray bottle are all that is necessary.
Lay out the blanket on the floor, put the plastic sheet over that, and the beach towel over that. Fill the spray bottle with very hot mineral or distilled water with a total of 10-15 drops of your chosen essential oils. Shake well and spray onto the beach towel. Shake often while spraying. Lie down face-up on the beach towel and reach around to grab all the layers, pulling them around the sides and on top of you. Time is important, because the essential oils are evaporating and the water temperature cools quickly. Consider a heating pad under the blanket to assist in warming.
Close your eyes and relax totally in your "cocoon". You can stay wrapped up as long as you are comfortable and remain warm, about 30-60 minutes. Aromatic wraps encourage your body to detoxify by increasing perspiration, stimulating circulation, and promoting lymphatic drainage. A detoxifying wrap would include Cypress-6 drops, Lemon-5 drops, Juniper- 2 drops, and Lavender- 2 drops. Or for a relaxing blend, try Lavender-10 drops, Bergamot-3 drops, and Sweet Orange- 2 drops.





by Judy Burger