Ethereal Cactus

In those instances, the tendency is for you to become “unconscious.” The reaction or emotion takes you over — you “become” it. You act it out. You justify, make wrong, attack, defend. . .except that it isn’t you, it’s the reactive pattern, the mind in its habitual survival mode.

Identification with the mind gives it more energy; observation of the mind withdraws energy from it. Identification with the mind creates more time; observation of the mind opens up the dimension of the timeless. The energy that is withdrawn from the mind turns into presence.

Once you can feel what it means to be present, it becomes much easier to simply choose to step out of the time dimension whenever time is not needed for practical purposes and move more deeply into the Now.

This does not impair your ability to use time — past or future — when you need to refer to it for practical matters. Nor does it impair your ability to use your mind. In fact, it enhances it. When you do use your mind, it will be sharper, more focused.

Build up a Buddha min and have some soul food

Energy breathing is an energy working technique that is used to bring energy into your body, and expel negative energy from the inside. This breathing technique can also be used in order to focus your mind, while you go through the process of also allowing your energetic flow to be strengthened, and cleansed throughout your body.  This technique is very simple, and can be done anywhere at anytime and can be combined with the practices of centering, and grounding.

1) Begin this practice by sitting, standing or laying in a relaxing position, then proceed to close your eyes.

2) Visualize the energy flowing throughout the inside of your body as a blue mist.

3) Now begin deep breathing, Inhale through your nose, and exhale through your mouth. As you do this visualize breathing in more bright blue mist on your inhale, and on exhale blowing out black dark smoke. On inhale you are going to want to breathe in fully expanding all parts of the lungs, and on exhale you are also going to want to empty your lungs as much as you can. With every breath visualize your energy as blue mist moving throughout your body.

A Practical Guide to Herbology

Lesson One: Medicinal Teas

When I was first starting out with herbology, I was living in a small village in Croatia with a total population of less than 100 people. We depended on homemade teas, salves and medicines to heal us since the nearest hospital was two hours away. We treated ourselves with the power of herbs, gifted to us by the Earth.

These days, we can purchase all the tools we need to grow both common and exotic plants. Dried herbs are also another good option, especially for those that cannot grow their own. And with these tools, we can craft our own medicines. 

For the first lesson, I’m going to focus on something simple: the art of crafting medicinal tea. 

Creating Tea Blends

When starting out with creating medicinal teas, it’s important to understand how each ingredient interacts with our bodies. Be sure that you’re not allergic to any of your herbs and that they won’t interact poorly with any prescribed medications that you’re on. For example, those who are diabetic should not take angelica root; folks who are allergic to ragweed should avoid chamomile. 

Here’s a list of common herbs and their functions for the purposes of crafting medicinal teas:

Angelica Root: Soothes colds and flu, reduces phlegm and fever. (Do not use if you are diabetic)

Basil: Eases headaches, indigestion, muscle spasms, insomnia; reduces stress and tension

Blackberry Leaves or Roots: Reduces diarrhea

Catnip: Soothes teething pain, colic, diarrhea, indigestion, anxiety, insomnia. (May cause drowsiness. Avoid if on Lithium or sedatives)

Calendula (marigold): Reduces fevers, soothes indigestion, gastrointestinal cramps, flu; antiseptic. (May cause drowsiness. Avoid if on sedatives)

Cayenne Pepper: Soothes coughs, colds, arthritis (topical), nerve pain, fever, flu; expectorant. (Avoid taking with medications that contain Theophylline).

Chamomile: Reduces insomnia, anxiety, stress, fever, indigestion; aids with sleep and pain relief. (May decrease effectiveness of birth control pills and some cancer medications, may increase the effects of warfarin; avoid if you are taking medications for your liver)

Cinnamon Bark: Soothes sore throats and coughs; anti-inflammatory (Avoid taking with diabetes medications)

Dandelion Root: Detoxifying, aids digestion, relieves constipation, laxative. (Avoid if on antibiotics, lithium or water pills)

Dandelion Leaf: Mild diuretic, potassium-rich (Avoid if on medication for liver)

Elderberries: Wards off colds and flu

Ginger: Eases morning sickness, nausea, colic, indigestion, diarrhea, fever, sore throats. (Avoid taking with medications that slow blood clotting)

Ginkgo: Relieves anxiety, vertigo, tinnitus; improves circulation, helps concentration; helps PMS. (Avoid taking with ibuprofen or with medications that slow blood clotting; numerous medications have interactions with ginkgo so speak to your specialist before use)

Ginseng: Aphrodisiac, mild stimulant, boosts immune system. (Do not take with medications that slow blood clotting, and avoid taking with diabetes medications or with MAO inhibitors)

Goldenrod: Relieves gout and cramps

Lavender: Reduces anxiety, headaches, tension, stress, indigestion, IBS; antibacterial; antiseptic; disinfectant (May cause drowsiness; avoid if on sedatives)

Lemon balm: Relieves anxiety, cold sores, colic, insomnia, restlessness, indigestion; boosts memory (May cause drowsiness, avoid taking with sedatives)

Nettle: Reduces hay fever and arthritis; diuretic. (Avoid taking with diabetes medications, medications for high BP, sedatives, medications that slow blood clotting, and lithium)

Peppermint: Relieves nausea, anxiety, indigestion, IBS, colic, diarrhea, fever, coughs, colds; anesthetic (Avoid if you have acid-reflux disease; avoid taking with cyclosporine; avoid if on liver medications)

Pine Needles: Expectorant; antiseptic; relieves coughs, colds, fever and congestion

Rosemary: Improves focus, memory, concentration, BP, circulation; antiseptic; antidepressant; eases indigestion

Thyme: Antibacterial, antiseptic, eases coughs and colds, expectorant (Do not take with medications that slow blood clotting)

Recipes

For those starting out, here are a few recipes for common ailments. As you start making your own teas, you’ll learn which blends of herbs work best for your body. Keep track of which ingredients and combinations are successful - with each steep, you get closer and closer to crafting your perfect personalized medicine cabinet.

Anxiety Relief - ½ tsp chamomile - ½ tsp lemon balm Cold Relief - ½ tsp elderberry flower - ½ tsp thyme Mood Booster - ½ tsp lavender - ½ tsp catnip - ½ tsp rosemary Cramp Relief - ½ tsp basil - ½ tsp calendula (marigold) - ½ tsp goldenrod Indigestion Relief - ½ tsp ginger - ½ tsp lemon balm - ½ tsp peppermint Expectorant - ½ tsp pine needles - ½ tsp nettle leaf - ½ tsp angelica root Insomnia - ½ tsp chamomile - ½ tsp catnip - ½ tsp lavender Sore Throat Relief - ½ tsp cinnamon (or half a stick) - ½ tsp ginger - 1 tbsp honey Fever Break - ¼ tsp cayenne pepper - ½ tsp angelica root Flu Relief - ½ tsp calendula (marigold) - ½ tsp lemon balm

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Photographs are under the Creative Commons License. Content is from my grimoire and is embedded with information from a variety of sources over the years. 

Updated 7 March 2018 with relevant warnings and to be consistent with other posts in this series.

Warnings:  All plant material should be sourced appropriately and responsibly for your own safety and well-being. Be certain that you are purchasing food-grade ingredients from a reliable retailer or supplier. Along these lines, not all dried herbs are meant for consumption so please be on the lookout for “external use only” labels - you do not want those products for this.

Do your own research regarding medicinal plants and usage, especially if you are sensitive or have allergies of any kind. If you are on medication(s), consult a doctor before use.

The Medicine Wheel, sometimes known as the Sacred Hoop, has been used by generations of various Native American tribes to represent all knowledge of the universe. Within the cosmology of primal peoples, the Medicine Wheel represents the circle of life. All aspects of life, energy, and the ever-moving universe spiral in circles. The plants, the animals, the minerals, and the elemental forces of nature all exist within the circle.

The Medicine Wheel provides a means of entering sacred space–that place where you can find yourself over and over again. The Medicine Wheel of Life is a mandala, a symbolic blueprint or map of reality. It represents a multidimensional, interwoven web of relationships that are in constant communion with each other. The sacred wheel exists simultaneously in a horizontal and vertical axis, as well as in the unfolding continuum of time–past, present, and future.

The Medicine Wheel of Life serves as a portal to consciously enter the cyclic, time-space unfolding of Tao or Great Mystery through a practice of reverent, harmonious relationship. It is based on the belief that the universe is alive, sentient, and constantly communicating its wisdom to who ever makes an effort to listen.

To move around the wheel and develop a relationship with each direction is to step onto a path of learning and fulfillment. Each direction has qualities and attributes that help us spiral toward completion on the wheel of life. All creatures walk the circumference of the Medicine Wheel, experiencing birth, life, and death. After completing a cycle of learning on the sacred wheel, each of us returns to the source, the Great Mystery at the center or heart of the circle.

The Medicine Wheel of Life is symbolized by a circle that is bisected first with a line of light from East to West. From the East the sun arises and the guardian Eagle takes flight. Though the qualities attributed to each of the four cardinal directions tend to vary from culture to culture, the energy of the East is typically associated with the vernal equinox, Eagle, Hummingbird, morning, birth, beginnings, the rising sun, illumination, inspiration, ascending consciousness, and the element of Air.

From the South rises the vital energy of renewal, regeneration, and growth. From the South we learn to plant seeds of good cause. We learn that our thoughts and actions create our reality. South is related to the summer solstice, Serpent, Coyote, midday, youth, trust, growth, and the element of Fire.

From the West flows the energy of transformation. In the West we assimilate our life experiences. Experience is the only baggage we carry with us from this Earth walk. From the West we exit the realm of physical experience and join into vast levels of experience in the spirit worlds of light, or we choose to return and walk again the sacred wheel of life. West is connected to the autumnal equinox, Bear, twilight, introspection, emotions, flow, the moon, death, endings, transformation, and the element of Water.

From the North flows the energy that completes the quartering of the circle. From the North we receive wisdom and clarity of mind. North is linked to the winter solstice, Buffalo, night, wisdom, clarity, patience, renewal, blessings, abundance, and the element of Earth.

Quartering the circle defines all that is the Great Mystery. We are here on earth to experience and realize the mystery. The vision of that mystery is ever present within each of us. When we still the incessant chatter of the mind, we begin to realize the Sacred Vision. We begin to recognize certain qualities from the four directions that help us evolve on the wheel of life.

Need some music to get your creative juices flowing? We’ve got you covered!

1. Radioactive by Imagine Dragons

2. Bones by Ms Mr

3. Uprising by Muse

4. We Are Responsible by Anna Johnson

5. Anything Could Happen by Elli Goulding

6. Renegades by X Ambassadors

7. Resistance by Muse

8. Stompa by Serena Ryder

9. It’s Time by Imagine Dragons

10. Lantern by Josh Ritter

11. Human by The Killers

12. Final Masquerade by Linkin Park

13. Escape by Kongos

14. Drive it Like You Stole it by the Glitch Mob

15. Edge of a Revolution by Nickelback

16. Crystals by Of Monsters and Men

17. Hero of War by Rise Against

18. Search and Destroy by 30 Seconds to Mars

19. Secrets by OneRepublic

20. Monsters by Matchbook Romance

21. Invincible by Skillet

22. Gold by Imagine Dragons

23. Human Race by Three Days Grace

24. Into the Fire by Thirteen Senses

25. Vox Populi by 30 Seconds to Mars

26. Human by Christina Perri

27. Some Kind of Monster by Neon Trees

28. What I’ve Done by Linkin Park

29. Away From the Sun by Three Doors Down

30. State of My Head by Shinedown

31. Cough Syrup by Young The Giant

32. Sick Of It by Skillet

33. Centuries by Fall Out Boy

34. Mountain At My Gate by Foals

35. Castle by Halsey

36. Pompeii by Bastille

37. Save the World by Swedish House Mafia

38. Who We Are by Imagine Dragons

39. I Own You by Shinedown

40. Collective Amnesia by Rise Against

41. Viva La Vida by Coldplay

42. Inferred by Placebo

43. Young Volcanoes by Fall Out Boy

44. Burn by Elli Goulding

45. Derezzed by The Glitch Mob

46. You Make Me Want to Die by The Pretty Reckless

47. Glittering Clouds by Imogen Heap

48. Outcast by Shinedown

49. Oh, What a Life by American Authors

50. It’s About Time by Young The Giant

51. Kingdom of Rust by Doves

52. Somewhere Only We Know by Keane

53. Kerosene Dreams by X Ambassadors

54. Recondite mixed by Wahbi Abderrahamane

55. Aftermath by Muse

56. Ready, Aim, Fire by Imagine Dragons

57. Empty Gold by Halsey

58. Believer by Imagine Dragons

59. Meet Me On the Battlefield by SVRCINA

60. Feed The Machine by Nickelback

61. The Bad in Each Other by Fiest

62. Warrior by Beth Crowley

63. Midnight City by M83

64. Not Afraid Anymore by Halsey

65. Yamaha by Delta Spirit

66. Beast by Nico Vega

67. Polarize by Twenty One Pilots