Alternative Medicine
Energy Work With Lunar Herbs
The Moon is traditionally associated in healing and metaphysical practices with several flowers and plants, specifically herbs. Many of these herbs are silver, grey, or pale blue, as well as green, much like the Full Moon itself. Many of these plants are also associated with water, or grow near it.
There are several ways to use herbs in your practice, such as ingesting it in teas or other edible formats, and burning it as incense to purifying ourselves and our living spaces.
During the peak of the moon cycle when it is at its strongest during the Full Moon, is a powerful time to reflect on our emotions, the subconscious, healing, and parts of the body associated with water (blood, digestive system, reproductive system). We can enhance this powerful lunar energy by drinking an appropriate herbal tea, or burning an incense blend consisting of lunar herbs.
Different herbs are associated with the different energies of the lunar cycle. If you are working through some difficult emotional baggage, try lavender, wild rose, lotus, poppy, or kava-kava.
Since the Moon encourages healthy consumption of water and moisturizing, herbs like aloe vera, coconut, chickweed, or marshmallow and aniseed roots act as both natural refreshers and soothers. They are excellent to ensure healthy water absorption, and gels made from aloe are well-known as natural moisturizers.
If you wish to deepen your levels of compassion and understanding during a moon cycle, try mugwort, wormwood, or passionflower. Many of these herbs are edible and delicious. Just be sure to double check first, before adding them to your salad or your teapot!
Laughter Is A Spiritual Superpower
I believe there are energies on this planet that feed off lower vibrations caused by fear, anger, depression, anxiety, jealousy, perversion, and hate. The more time we spend in such lower frequencies, the more we will attract even more of those negative energies.
On the opposite end of the energy spectrum, there is joy, love, forgiveness, light , positive thinking, and laughter that keep us in a higher vibration. Laughter is in fact one of the most powerful ways to raise our energy vibration. It even helps to heal our physical body and keeps our mind clear and our thoughts positive. It can be like a life raft that keeps us sane in a somewhat crazy world.
A sure sign that someone is going over to the ‘dark side,’ is when they lose their sense of humor. I’ve had friends who used to have a great sense of humor, until they were sucked into a dark mental state, some of them also using alcohol or drugs to self-medicate (which dramatically lowers our vibration). It’s quite alarming to witness the profound change in them. No more joking or upbeat banter. No more laughter. Not even a smile. Nothing.
I have a long-time friend who lately shows a complete lack of emotional connection. The first time I noticed this change with her was when realized she had stopped making jokes. She also stopped laughing at my jokes.
Throughout our friendship we have always relied on our like-minded sense of humor to deal with life’s challenges. We had used our sense of humor to manage the ridiculousness in life, and even our own dysfunctional behavior. Nothing is healthier than to be able to laugh at yourself!
But then she started losing empathy and interest in others. She increasingly became emotionally unavailable and dissociated. It has been sad and scary process to see my friend’s vibrant personality slowly fading. I have tried to reach out and lift her spirits, but she only checks in briefly from time to time, and then disappears again into the shadows.
True Healing Begins With Holding Space
A work associate and friend recently offered me a free healing session, which he describes as ‘holding space.’ It involves the healer simply ‘being present’ and mindful in the moment with the client during a video call.
He explained the process beforehand and informed me that was going to simply talk and express myself, with no prompting from him. I gratefully accepted his kind offer.
I was not sure what to expect, but having studied various healing modalities myself over the years and being naturally curious about all aspects of spirituality and holistic health, I was open to the experience.
To begin he invited me to just relax and focus on my breathing. Once he senses that I was ready to proceed, he encouraged me to simply begin talking about whatever came to mind.
“Oh no,” I secretly thought, “what on earth will I talk about?”
Well, I soon discovered that it wasn’t difficult at all! I spontaneously began talking, and soon it was pretty much non-stop! I kicked off talking about my concerns for my aging pets, and then went on to other everyday worries and domestic matters. Eventually, I switched to my family history – specifically focusing on all the times I had felt invisible or let down by relatives.
About halfway through, I briefly hesitated and asked my friend if he was not maybe getting bored? But he assured me that he was perfectly fine, adding that this kind of work was very much a calling for him. He later explained that he has overcome several life challenges and tragedies himself over the years, and subsequent soul-searching, as well as further training in various holistic practices, ultimately led him to begin holding space for others.
Healing With Herbs
The past two years I have turned increasingly to herbs for natural healing. A good friend told me about herbs and how they help her family and I begin to do research. Soon I started taking herbs and have had excellent results.
Herbal medicine has gone from alternative to mainstream. The proper use of many common herbs (some of which can be easily grown at home) can help keep you healthy. Try herbal infusions in teas, lotions and soaps to see what works best for you.
You may not know the many uses for these common herbs and plant extracts, so I have compiled a list of those I often use in my personal life:
Ginger – known as the ‘universal medicine’ in Ayurvedic tradition for its many uses, including anti-nausea and motion sickness, digestive aid, and circulatory aid. It can be consumed in powder or fresh form.
Basil – has a spicy scent which can be used to revive faintness. It is also useful for an overactive thyroid, improving one’s concentration, and as an antioxidant packed with Vitamins A and C.
Curry – like ginger it is a popular herb in Ayurvedic medicine. Some of its uses include pain relief, ‘brain power’ to help ward off Alzheimer’s disease, and antioxidant. It also has been shown to improve skin tone.
Peppermint – thought to be the world’s oldest herbal remedy. It is used to combat nausea and vomiting, increase mental stimulation, and boost energy levels. It can also be used as a mild analgesic.
Parsley – in addition to being a popular food garnish it helps prevent gall bladder infections and kidney stones. It’s also loaded with antioxidant and deodorizing properties.
The Transformational Power Of Self-Care
As you journey towards the end of the beautiful summer season, prioritize self-care, as this is one of the most important things you can do for your mind, body and soul.
What exactly is self-care? Self-care is any activity you do intentionally to take care of your mental, emotional, spiritual, or physical health and well-being. It’s about giving yourself the time and attention that you need to thrive.
When you take care of yourself, the most critical person in your world, you can better care for others, and do your work with greater purpose. It becomes easier to show up fully and more meaningfully for others in your life. In this manner, we can be more present with our loved ones, pursue our passions with greater focus, and feel happier overall.
By showing love to ourselves, we become more open to giving and receiving love from others. When we radiate love and peace, we attract more love and peace into our lives. It’s a beautiful cycle of giving and receiving that creates inner harmony and outer wellness.
It’s essential to find time each day to do something that relaxes and rejuvenates you, whether it is reading, going for a walk, or taking a yoga class. Self-care is vital because it helps you to stay healthy as a whole person.
Making time for yourself can relieve stress and tension, improving your overall health and well-being. Additionally, self-care can help you to avoid burnout on multiple levels.
Make sure to schedule time for yourself every day. You can use this time to do something you love without any obligations or expectations. Nurturing your happiness to be the best version of yourself for others is essential.
Letting Go Heals Our Silent Pain
Too often we are not aware of the emotional pain in others. We are blissfully ignorant of the invisible pain that they are suffering. This is the secret pain of grief, of tragedy and loss. It is often the silent pain that many of us carry inside, a pain we secretly endure every day.
Our grief and sorrow is something we hide from the world, because we tend to feel ashamed, embarrassed or guilty for not being ‘stronger.’ The fast-paced modern world we live in has little patience with those who need time to mourn and heal. Life goes on, they say.
Those who are grieving must get through their pain as best they can, often without having anyone to talk to or no one wo cares to understand. They must simply put on a happy face and get through the day.
Sometimes people are having a hard time processing a loss or disappointment because they do not want to let go. Why would anyone choose to hold on to the pain, you may ask? Well, there is sometimes a strange comfort found in a state of holding on. When our world feels upside down and the future seems uncertain, we tend to hold on to the familiarity of the past, of the life we once knew.
The energy of such an ongoing state of silent pain soon becomes an imbalance in the throat chakra and blocks our ability to heal. The throat chakra plays a very big part, because it is our energy center of truth, the seat of our power to communicate our free will and talk about our true feelings.
Suppressed mental and emotional pain in time manifests itself in our body in many debilitating ways, such as migraine headaches, stomach aches, physical discomfort and a variety of other symptoms and potential health problems. Only when the pain is addressed and processed, will it go away and will our well-being improve.
The True Role Of The Spiritual Healer
Spiritual healing is the healing of the human body through spirit power by means of mediumship. Healing comes under both the mental and physical phases of mediumship. The sending of healing vibrations mentally, and the healing forces applied without the laying on of hands, all come under the heading of mental mediumship.
Some marvelous things have been accomplished by the sending of healing vibrations through the power of thought. As you know, prayer is the sending of thought vibrations to a Higher Source. So, we can easily understand how one might be healed this way.
Faith enters largely into a demonstration of mental healing, and it is almost impossible for a healer to accomplish much, unless the patient works with the healer in faith. Thoughts of hatred and jealousy are most destructive, and a body poisoned with thoughts of this nature cannot be healed until this destructive force is overcome.
Vibration always plays an important part in all healing, both mental and physical. All matter is spiritual energy at different rates of vibration, an emanation from Divine Mind. The lowest vibration of color of what we are conscious of comes to us in the shades of red and the highest in the violet and purple shades.
The spirit healer use knowledge of the laws of vibration. Mental disturbances are caused by too rapid a vibration and physical disturbances are caused by too low a vibration. The one must be lowered, and the other raised, in order to effect a cure.
For the sake of convenience, I sometimes refer to myself simply as a ‘healer.’ However, I do not heal others myself. My task is to listen, and open myself up to receive the energy, the light, and the information that allows me to become the catalyst for the healing and transformation of my client. I am simply a conduit. The healing is not performed by me, it merely comes through me. Healing is a decision between my client and Spirit, God, Source, the Universe.