September issue

ANEIS DE VIDA Aneis de Vida

Issue 12

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September 2015

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changed somewhat.

Hope it makes the

reading a little more fun and interesting.

Your feedback as always will be greatly appreciated.

There are two interviews this month, very different, and one that truly is an inspiring and yet eye opening revelation of living with a disease that is cripling at best, but overcoming with a positive attitude.

And then if you have been reading the blog posts you will have read about narcissism Parri has written her story. To the point, and

Hello everyone and welcome September

brutally honest with her emotions and the toll it took on her.

The month those of us in the southern hemisphere have been waiting for has finally arrived. The official month of spring. An

Enjoy the articles, recipes and gardening

absolutely wonderful time to watch the

tips.

newness of the trees and plants as they sprout

month.

And most of all have a wonderful

the wonderful bright green of their leaves.

The mere thought of warmer weather bringing

Blessings to all

a renewed vigour to our steps.

~Tilanie~

September also see’s Diana Cooper coming to South Africa, so take a look at the dates on the advert and book if you have not done so already.

At long last the plundge was taken to use the new programme and so the layout has 3

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / DIRECTOR Tilanie Meierhans tilanie@aneisdevida.co.za

ON LINE http://aneisdevida.co.za

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the editor, sponsors, advertisers or publisher. While every effort has been made to ensure that the contents of this publication are both accurate and truthful, the publisher and editor accept no responsibility for inaccurate or misleading information that may be contained herein. The publisher and editor do not promote or endorse any of the products or services advertised in this publication. Advertisers are responsible for their own advertisements. Be sure to consult your medical practitioner before you embark on any self-medication programme. Holistic remedies can be potent.

COPYRIGHT: Aneis de Vida is protected under the Copyright Act. All rights reserved. No publication may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the publisher.

MISSION STATEMENT: Aneis de Vida aims to enlighten, bring hope, love and light to all.

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INDEX Pg

Content

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Calendar

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Humour is the Name of the Game

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Monthly Zodiac Tarot

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Teen Tarot

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Namibia - A Diamond waiting to be Discovered

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Who is Lyn Thurman?

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Sapphire - Blue-eyed Beauty

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Living Consciously

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The Star of Bethlahem

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Sea Monkey - Short Story

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Madam Survivor - Cindy Pivacic

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Protein and the Stomach

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Natural Remedy

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September Recipe

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When Should you Skip that Massage

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The Story of my Abuse & Survival

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Bringing Ceremony into your Life

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Channelled message from Master Atenar

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September Rune Reading

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September message from Archangel Michael

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And Ecosphere of Love

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Barnyard Sanctuary Farm - Kiddies Corner

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Gardening

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ADVERTISING SPRING SPECIAL Information you want potential clients to know Contact details such as: Telephone: E-mail: Website:

R100-00 Incl. VAT /advert.

As per example Please contact Kerry on: kerry@aneisdevida.co.za for further details.

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For all advertising requirements please contact Kerry Radloff on: kerry@aneisdevida.co.za

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Conner photographed wearing his OGGI Protective Swimwear after winning in the Competition held earlier this year.

Hope you have fun in the sun knowing you are well protected Conner.

Thank you to OGGI for sponsoring the competition.

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An exceptional, elegant home in a magnificent setting.

The home has finest quality finishes and an extraordinary light and airy ambience. The fluid floor plan and expansive space makes large scale entertaining a pleasure. The over 8000sqm garden has sweeping lawns and magnificent trees. This property also boasts its own professional recording studio. Set in a beautiful part of the Upper Highway area, 27 kilometres from the Durban city centre and approximately 55 kilometres away from King Shaka International airport.

For more information and photos, please contact Liesel Schirmer via email

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September 2015

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Sun

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2

3

4

5

6

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Slovakia Vietnam Constitution National Day Day

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9

Australia - USA/CAN Fathers Day- Labour DayBulgaria - Brazil - IndeUnification pendence Day Day 10

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Malta Feast of Lady of Victories 15

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Latvia -

Israel -

Fathers Day Rosh HaShona 17

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Israel -

Mexico -

Chile -

Bulgaria -

Rosh HaShona

Independence Day

Independence Day

Independence Day

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25

22

16

23

Israel -

South Africa - Heritage Day

Day of Atonement

26 S, Korea Harvest Festival

Turkey - Eid al Adha 29

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30

10

20

27

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Contact For Aloe Health via e-mail: foraloehealth@gmail.com 11

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Walking on Grass

Hello

The room was full of pregnant women with their husbands.

"Hello, Señor Bill?

This is Ernesto, the caretaker at your country house."

The instructor said, "Ladies, remember that exercise is good for you.

Walking is especially beneficial. It strengthens the pelvic muscles and will make delivery that much easier. Just pace yourself, make plenty of stops and try to stay on a soft surface like grass or a path" "Gentlemen, remember -- you're in this together. It wouldn't hurt you to go walking with her. In fact, that shared experience would be good for you both."

The room suddenly became very quiet as the men absorbed this information.

"Yes, Señor Bill, he died from all that work pulling the water cart."

"Ah yes, Ernesto. What can I do for you? Is there a problem?"

"Um, I am just calling to advise you, Señor Bill, that your parrot, he is dead".

"My parrot? Dead? The one that won the International competition?"

"Si, Señor, that's the one."

"Damn! That's a pity! I spent a small fortune on that bird. What did he die from?"

"From eating the rotten meat, Señor Bill."

"Rotten meat? Who the hell fed him rotten meat?"

"Nobody, Señor. He ate the meat of the dead horse."

After a few moments a man at the back of the room, slowly raised his hand.

"Dead horse? What dead horse?"

"Yes?" said the Instructor.

"The thoroughbred, Señor Bill."

"I was just wondering if it would be all right if she carries a golf bag while we walk."

"My prize thoroughbred is dead?"

"Are you insane? What water cart?"

"The one we used to put out the fire, Señor."

"Good Lord! What fire are you talking about, man?"

"The one at your house, Señor! A candle fell and the curtains caught on fire."

"What the hell? Are you saying that my mansion > is destroyed because of a candle?!"

"Yes, Señor Bill."

"But there's electricity at the house!

What was the candle for?"

"For the funeral, Señor Bill."

"WHAT BLOODY FUNERAL??!!"

"Your wife's, Señor Bill. She showed up very late one night and I thought she was a thief, so I hit her with your new Ping G15 204g titanium head golf club with the TFC 149D graphite shaft."

SILENCE...........

LONG SILENCE........

VERY LONG SILENCE............

"Ernesto, if you broke that driver, you're in deep shit!"

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This month seems to be filled to the brim with

You could find yourself in a situation where

happy friends and family occasions. And

somone is feeling envious of you. Don’t let

with that comes the overall feeling of

this distract you from your end goal. All is

contentment. Your worries fade with the joy

well as long as you move forward.

of feelings of belonging.

Abundance is yours in September. By

Be aware that this is not the time to lash out. It

showing your gratitude for that which you

could result in unfavourable reactions. Keep

already do have, you will have more of the

calm and the storm that seems to be brewing

same coming your way. Open your arms with

will pass without too much debrit left in its

happiness and enjoy the weeks ahead.

wake.

Make sure that your strategies are firmly in

Make note of your dreams and intuitions this

place. Re-visit your ideas. They are sound

month. They will be of great benefit to you

but cross your T’s and dot your I’s. You are

in the long run. Have no fear, that which is

urged to be optimistic toward your plans and

on the horizon is meant to bring you joy.

ideas. Believe in yourself.

Very unlike you Leo, in September you seem

A month of celebration, joyous and

to want to crawl into your shell. This is not

unexpected good luck befall you. The

the time to do so. It is now that you need to

universe is making sure you receive all the

stand your ground and be firm in what you

abundance you deserve.

believe.

Should you be single, September is the

Let yourself reach out to new and creative

month to take note that love may come

projects. Nurture yourself. It is a time of

knocking at your door. It is a month of

freedom of exploring your inner most wishes.

deepening relationships all round.

Deep thinking, analysing, a time of intro-

Time to take a break. Rest and rejuvenation is

spection of that which was and that which

called for. If you have been feeling down

you are wising for. Keep your thoughts

within yourself or have body aches and pains,

clear and your dreams will come true.

it is telling you to think of yourself before anyone else.

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~Doreen Virtue~

Everything’s Okay Please don’t worry!

Everything is working out in a beautiful way.

The fairies know you are concerned about the outcome of this situation. So this card is to let you know that everything is working out in a divine fashion. Exactly as it should.

Take steps to uplift your heart and unburden your heart and mind.

Spend as much time as possible out in nature and let your thoughts drift to happy places.

Something practical to do regarding your situation: Write down your thoughts on a piece of paper, especially the negative ones.

Then fold that paper and go and bury it in the sand.

You have now set free those negative aspects and you need to concentrate on the positive outcome of your given situation.

It is vitally important for you to make sure you are getting enough rest during this time of emotional strain.

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Unique Handcrafted Jewellery E-Mail: Hystanford@omail.co.za

Website: http://yvonnedewit.wordpress.com/

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By Tilanie Meierhans

Namibia gets its name from the Namib Desert. It is considered to be the oldest desert in the world. Namibia became independent in 1990, before that it was known as German South-West Africa and then South-West Africa, reflecting its colonial occupation by the Germans as well as the South Africans

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To the north it is bordered by Angola and Zambia, to the

east by Botswana and in the South by South Africa. Namibia is for the most part on the high plateau of Southern Africa and has an elevation of 3-4000 ft. It is located on the Atlantic Ocean with a coastline of 1572km, a country with woodland savannahs, lush floodplains and fascinating deserts. Namibia has been inhabited by San, Damara, Nama, Herero, Gobabis and Okahandja and before the 14th century AD by immigrating peoples from central Africa.

From the late 18th Century clans from the Cape Colony (South Africa) crossed over the Orange River and moved and settled into Southern Namibia.

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Climate

Etosha Pan in the north-western part of Nambia has the nickname of ‘’Great White Place’’ because of its dry saline clay soil, it is also known as the ‘’Land of Dry Water’’ because it is a lake that remains predominantly dry most months of the year. This is the only major lake to be found in Namibia.

The rivers lie on or near the Namibian borders. The Cunene River forms the border to Angola on the north-western side and the Okavango River on the north-eastern side. The Zambezi touches Namibia only where it is the far eastern border of the Caprivi Strip with Zambia.

Along the Namibian coast the average temperature rages from 13°C in winter to 23°C in summer. Inland the temperatures will be higher, ranging from 25°C to 35°C, and can go over 40°C in the very hot dry periods.

There is little rainfall in Namibia, but the rainy season is between November and March with the most occurring during the January to March period.

Because of its erratic rainfall, Namibia has frequent periods of drought and some areas may go many years without a drop of rain. The highest rainfall occurs in the North-eastern parts where there is woodland savannah and dense vegetation covering the plains.

Namibia is largely desert and semi desert.

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Interesting Facts About Namibia Dragon’s Breath, located in Hariseb, is the world’s largest underground lake. The Namib Desert is known as the world’s oldest desert The Welwitschia Mirabilis, a fossil plant that can be found in the Namib Desert, has a lifespan that can reach 2,000 years.

The Constitution of Namibia is the first constitution to include a provision for environmental protection.

The largest meteorite shower ever, the Gibeon meteorite shower, was discovered in Namibia in 1838.

The longest cave system in Namibia is the Arnhem Cave.

Averaging at 2,500, the free-roaming cheetah population of Namibia is the largest in the world.

The Namib Desert is known as the world’s oldest desert.

Windhoek is the capital city of Namibia. It is surrounded by rolling hills, and most tourists will be astounded at the diversity of cultures to be found here.

Namibia is also home to a population of elephant who have adapted to the dry and arid climate.

They can mostly be found in the north-western part of the country. These elephant can go for days without any water, surviving mostly on moisture obtained from the vegetation the feed on.

They have adapted to their environment by evolving into having larger feet, which makes it easier for them to walk through the sand. They also have smaller herds which puts less pressure on them with regards to finding food and water to sustain them.

A country with warmth from its people and climate. Well worth a visit and to experience the African desert with a charm of its very own.

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www.exceptionalafricansafaris.com Info@exceptionalafricansafaris.com

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Interview with long time blogger, writer and published author Lyn Thurman.

not a difficult concept for me to grasp and, as a water sign, navigating the world through feelings was natural to me.

By the time I was in my early twenties, I was aware of how intuition worked through me (and was an integral part of who I am) but I was equally adept at ignoring it. It took a few costly mistakes of ignoring my intuition for me to always take it seriously.

2. When and why did you start EFT?

1. You are an intuitive where did your journey begin?

I can't recall a time when my intuition just kicked in.

It's always been there but the difference, I suppose, is whether I listened to it or not.

As a young girl, I'd scramble to the library so I could lose myself in books on anything that was a little less mainstream - ghosts, ancient history, and astrology.

So the idea that we have an inner guidance system was

I've been using EFT for over a decade now. I stumbled upon it quite by accident. I was watching a TV show by hypnotist Paul McKenna on how he was using hypnosis and NLP (neuro linguistic programming) to help people lose weight.

He then showed a sequence of tapping points for how to overcome food cravings. So I imagined a piece of chocolate cake, (because who doesn't crave chocolate cake?) and tapped the points. As if by magic, the desire to stuff my face with cake vanished.

The process that McKenna showed was the forerunner to EFT; a process called TFT (Thought Field Therapy). When something interests me, I have a tendency to research it to death and that's exactly what I did with TFT. It wasn't long before I found EFT which is a simpler approach to tapping the meridian points.

EFT was like finally finding the missing puzzle piece. Invisible energy systems and stuck emotions - EFT was talking my language. It also gave me an answer to how I could manage my own emotions better. If you're a sensitive person sometimes emotions and feelings can be overwhelming and with EFT you can take the intensity down.

Website:

www.lynthurman.com 24

people who claim they don't. Some people decide to listen to it more than others.

3. You are a motivator for many, what drives you to do this, in the sense, what on a personal level do you gain in yourself by helping others?

6. What is your view on spirituality, and how can we collectively enable everyone to be come more spiritual, without it interfering with their various religions? Is it even possible, from your perspective?

I never see myself as a motivator so thank you very much for saying that!

There is part of my spirit that pushes me forward to help people, especially when it comes to sharing my own stories. We've lost close knit communities that our ancestors could enjoy so it can feel very isolated when problems or feelings arise. Whenever I've written blog posts that are deeply personal, I feel vulnerable yet compelled and each time, I'm amazed at the response.

I believe we are all spiritual beings having a human experience and that spirituality is a way for us to connect to something greater. It often has very little to do with man-made religions - spirituality goes beyond that.

I honestly believe that it is possible for us all to become more spiritual regardless of religions or belief systems. We just have to remember that we are all connected - you and I are made from the same elements and somewhere in the distant past, we shared an ancestor in Mitochondrial Eve. If we can see past our differences, we can see the common threads then kindness and love can permeate. Not to sound too hippy but it is all about the love.

When I work with people using EFT, I get great delight in seeing the weight lifted from client's shoulders. It's amazing to watch and I feel very privileged to be able to help.

4. Were you always fond of writing?

Yes! I can't remember a time when I wasn't surrounded by books, pens, paper and odd scraps of notes with writing on. I love everything about the written word and books, well, they were probably my first love. As a child, I'd come back from holidays or day trips with notepads and writing paper for souvenirs. I am a word nerd.

5. How have you found people react toward you when you tell them you are an intuitive? Have you had negative responses or have you been lucky in that friends and family have been supportive?

My family were not supportive at all. At the end of my twenties, life changed for me and I could no longer ignore my intuition nor my spiritual path. I'm sure it helped in their decision to cut contact with me (it's a long story).

I've found deeper connection with people who 'get me' online and now my daughter is older, I'm venturing back into the social scene and possibly doing live workshops etc. I'm pretty sure that being an intuitive is not a problem in the circles I now move.

In my everyday life, I don't really tell people I'm intuitive - it doesn't usually come up in conversation. Besides, we all have intuition, even those

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7. Have you found that religions have played a major role in ‘’disabling’’ people from their spiritual sides?

10. And for a bit of fun, as Lyn is a fun person, what is your funniest encounter in life?

I consider myself fortunate to have been raised in an atheist household. Religion and spirituality were never discussed. I had to find my own connection to Spirit and my only access to religion was through school. By not being involved in religion but having an interest in spirit, it has been like peering into a window to see what's going on inside while remaining firmly on my own ground.

I can't think of one encounter. Every day there's something new that amuses me and makes me giggle. However, my kids have been a good source of funny encounters and there are many things I can laugh at that I've done over the years (walking into a glass window, hanging onto the side of a river boat trying not to fall into the Thames after failing to moor correctly.... oh, the list is long).

I can understand why religions attract people to them because they can give community and a sense of belonging. Yet, the balance is very delicate between an organisation that is good for the soul and tyrannical. Religions are not organic, they come with rules and frameworks so to belong, and you have to fit in with the organisation.

You can lose your sense of spiritual exploration through fear of being ostracised.

8. What is your greatest wish for our planet?

For our planet to heal.

9. If you were to give people advice on how to connect with their spiritual side, what would it be?

Breathe. Go outside. Look at the clouds. Be in awe of nature. Listen to your inner guide (aka intuition). Ask questions. Look beyond the obvious. Laugh. Trust yourself.

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Gary Watkins Hypnosis Practitioner

Available for Skype Sessions E-Mail: gary.hypnotherapy@gmail.com

www.thoughtfieldhypnosis.co.za

Waterfall Durban

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The meaning of the Sapphire is:

the 10 commandments on a sapphire stone in order to forever preserve the message.

The Blue eyed Beauty and associated with the planet The healing properties.

Saturn. Very apt name for this gorgeous coloured gem. And has been closely tied with royalty across Sapphires are advantageous to people who have the globe in ancient times as well as today. heart problems. It is a gem also used to protect the It was once believed that the sapphire was made up wearer against accidents, dangers of fire, storms and natural calamities. It ensures that those who wear of the substance that supported the earth, and very much associated with the colour of the sky and be- these blue eyed beauties have greater financial success. came the favourite gem amongst rulers across the world. It was also thought to be associated with loyalty of subjects especially within royal houses those The use of the sapphire is also recommended for years. The sapphire was also known to bring calm- those who are addicted to alcohol, however here it should be worn under supervision of a practitioner. ness to the subject, which was often much needed during times of stress and turmoil. They were also They are effective in their healing powers in case of vomiting, nausea, headaches, body pains, vertigo, used for their power of virtue and wisdom, a great combination to the kings or queens’ successful rul- boils, abscesses, conjunctivitis, allergies and hypertension. ing.

It was also widely believed to have holy properties stemming from the ancient belief that Moses wrote

A stone with a wide spectrum of healing abilities, and an energy force of magnitude.

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Living Consciously Jimmy Henderson

If someone were to ask me if I regard myself as a religious or a spiritual person, my reply would be that I prefer to use the word ‘conscious’, as I believe this to be a more suitable definition of a thinking person. However, this does not mean that I am a not a believer in matters of a spiritual nature. On the contrary, in my case, living consciously implies being continually conscious of myself and my actions as well as of my relationship to the divine or universal source (God).

The power of living consciously is that it also allows one to move ‘outside of the box’ of normal

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day to day thinking and expand one’s paradigm of thinking to include other areas of knowledge such as science, psychology, philosophy and metaphysics in order to find answers to important questions regarding life and spirituality.

In my book ‘Multi-Dimensional Thinking’(Kima Global, 2007), I provided an overview of a process of self-development which can lead to fully conscious living. In terms of this process, our development throughout life follows a gradual learning curve which involves completing certain developmental tasks and ‘shifts’ relating to our consciousness, thinking and perception, the outcome of which should be a mature level of consciousness, mindfulness and understanding with which we can achieve mastery of life. Unfortunately, due to a number of factors, including past trauma and the challenges of day- to-day living, we can get ‘stuck’ at different stages and thus never complete this journey to fully conscious living. Having an understanding of these required shifts in thinking and perception, can help one face and overcome obstacles to self-development.

To begin the process, only two small decisions or intentions, are needed. One is a willingness to accept responsibility for your own life and actions and the other, a commitment to conscious self-development.

Following the setting of intention, the first task to be mastered would be ‘emotional wellness’. This is the ability to remain reasonably emotionally ‘at ease’ and suggests a certain amount of resilience to day-to-day concerns. Moving forward towards fully con-

Website http://jimmyhendersonbooks.com

scious living requires this early period of ‘healing’ which can include self- or divine forgiveness, as it will not really be possible to focus on higher processes when one is caught in a web of fear or guilt -based thoughts and actions from the past.

It is possible to do this inner work by yourself using a ‘toolbox’ of common therapeutic techniques, such as journaling and rational-emotive techniques, as are presented in my book. However, it may also be necessary to obtain assistance in the form of counseling or other forms of therapy to successfully complete this important stage of the process.

The second developmental task to be mastered is that of ‘emotional empowerment’, which is related to one’s self-image and self-esteem. This stage requires a period of introspection in order to obtain the necessary self-knowledge to discover who and what you really are and your relationship to God, Spirit or the Universe. This period of reflection is essential no matter what religious or spiritual path one follows, as it provides the consciousness, focus and vision needed for the journey ahead. At all levels, it is possible and sometimes necessary to obtain assistance from teachers and therapists.

You must realize that your mind will not easily accept any new experiences which are not included in your present framework of understanding. Your third developmental task would therefore involve clearing your mind of doubts and conflicting thoughts and expanding your present paradigm of thinking to include new concepts and ideas associated with self-development and fully conscious living. Completing this ‘shift’ is not always easy, and this could also be tackled in stages. For example, as a start it will be useful to learn to think holistically and be more open to new ideas. One way of doing this is to read widely and continue with self-introspection, reflecting deeply on life and approaching important questions using knowledge from different fields such as the natural and human sciences, philosophy, metaphysics and even religion. A second method would be to attend various talks and courses on spiritual or holistic matters. This will expose you to new ideas and open your mind to other possibilities.

Having dealt with your past, cleared unwanted debris from your mind and ‘shifted gears’ to a more universal paradigm of thinking, you would now be ready to access higher levels of consciousness and understanding. In order to do this, you will first need to build a relationship with your subconscious or unconscious mind, as this provides the underlying power for many of the skills required for fully conscious living.

There are a number of ways of accessing and gaining the cooperation of your subconscious mind, such as working with affirmations and intention, learning to interpret your dreams and symbolic drawings and finally, training in visualization or imagery. Once a relationship of trust with your subconscious or unconscious mind has been cemented, you will find that it will communicate readily with you through your dreams and spontaneous imagery and you will find it relatively easy to develop the skills such as intuition and heightened sense-perception required for deeper self-exploration.

The developmental ‘curve’ to fully conscious living is now becoming steeper and it is now necessary to begin to actively raise your consciousness and improve your communication with your true self, Spirit, God or the Universe. At this level, training in skills such as meditation, visualization, contemplation, intuition and spiritual guidance would be recommended. However, attempting these exercises too early in the process, without having first dealt with your past and prepared your mind and thinking, could result in failure. There are many good courses available on these areas of spiritual development, but once again, all are fully covered by the exercises in my book.

As you approach the top of the curve, you will need to prepare for a meeting and a merging with your higher self or soul, your true spiritual identity. In spiritual circles this could also be known as 31

‘connecting’ with, or ‘channeling’ your higher self. Your success at this level would depend on your having successfully completed the previous tasks and mastered, as least partially, the skills previously discussed.

This re-integration of your inner and outer self introduces the final stage of self-realisation from which you are able to take a quantum leap into a life filled with new meaning and power, the state of fully conscious living. In this state you would be free of your past, feel emotionally secure, confident and very mindful of people and events in the world. You should also attract spiritual guidance on a day-to-day basis and therefore be more aware of the decisions needed to move forward with your life. In practice, this should result in your becoming happier, more insightful, intuitive, tolerant, moral (able to act according to your conscience) and spiritually perceptive. I wish you all the best for the progress along your path.

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The Star of Bethlahem Radiant warm light envelops me.

A stamp of approval needs to be set upon them

I feel calm and content.

In accordance with the worth

I feel I am in good hands.

And significance of the circumstance.

I hear things around me, almost I imagine, It is not too often that a celestial body is used as a seal

Like angels singing, And in the music I lose all sense

On a propitious occasion,

Of time.

And it is not often that the hand of The Mover of All Things is

I feel transported to another world.

Inspired to mark

And I see colours, rich and varied,

So visibly and so dramatically,

So many I have never seen before.

An event seemingly only of import

I am lost in wonder.

To the human race

Am I dreaming?

And then seemingly only in a context Applicable to a small segment of that population.

But this cannot be Since I am very much Cognizant of my beating heart.

I am aware of every particle of myself.

And I know that should I wish to leave, I can.

Who are you that I sense around me?

Who holds me close and warm in their arms?

Who sings so sweetly this ethereal refrain?

There are times in our lives which can never be forgotten:

Important events need to be marked.

Times which, by virtue of their magnitude 34

Either in shock value or ecstasy value, Are indelibly imprinted on our hearts

Surely, if it is there for all to see

And minds,

It must mean something.

Never to be obliterated or lost.

And surely, Whoever placed the star in the sky

Here, we have an inexplicable natural phenomenon,

Thought it was that significant a happening

Lighting up the night skies,

That everyone should know about it,

More brightly visible to those people from so long ago

Down to the least educated and least Valued of people.

Than could ever now appear in our Electrically generated age,

It must have been like a thunderous

Foretold by the seers of that time,

Shout from the skies,

And linked, it would appear,

An in-your-face declaration of

To the humble birth

"Look here whoever you are!"

Of a baby with no entitlement

An impossible-to-miss notification

To an official title or inheritance.

Of an event Declared before all

It is as if a cross has been

By a mighty Being

Placed on a treasure map of

With the power to move the

The whole complex Creation,

Heavens to Its command.

Giving, to all who can see it, The coordinates to a trove

Perhaps we should revisit our thoughts

Of precious jewels

On the significance of this

And treasure beyond measure.

Momentous sensation.

Follow the steps and you will find it.

Perhaps, although we know the story And the importance of the soul

How could any clue be more obvious?

whose birth was marked by it,

How could any signal

We should question why the births of other figures,

Be demarcated more clearly?

Teaching very similar scriptures,

How blind would one have to be

Were not marked in such a manner.

To not realize that this is

It is almost as if there is more to this

Seriously important?

Than meets the eye.

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Which transcends my capacity It is as if, even now,

To describe its essence.

We are being told

The best I can do is say that

"The treasure you seek lies here,

The interconnectedness of all things

At this time,

Seems to be anchored at this

In this place,

Point on the map of the Universe,

In this humble heart."

When the mark of an incomparable star Is placed on the brow

Perhaps we should try to open our hearts,

Of a special baby human being −

And explore all the knowledge we can find there

A mark impossible to ignore,

To unlock the answers to this riddle.

Ever to be remembered, And indelibly engraving in the mind of humanity The existence of God.

I am taken up to the top of a rainbow of light.

I am bathed in incandescent colours, I become transparent, And like a prism I refract the rainbow colours Into a spectacular kaleidoscope Of translucent crystal light.

I feel perhaps, Like a star might feel, Pulsing with vibrant, splendid energy.

And as I look down beneath me I see an azure blue ball Radiating its ethereal beauty, Mystical and magical, In a calm, patient, velvet sea.

I feel a connection, I feel a deep communication 36

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SEA MONKEY

When I was a kid I really wanted Sea Monkeys. I used to see the ads in the back of comic books and I asked Dad to give me the dollar and fifty cents, so that I could order them. He wouldn’t let me. He said that Sea Monkeys were a scam and that I’d be disappointed.

Still, I persisted. I looked longingly at the ad, the little creature with his crown and scepter, next to him, his demure bride. Below in tiny, tiny print was a sentence that read: Warning, Illustration does not depict Artemia. What the heck does that mean? My little eleven year old brain pondered this and when I asked Dad, he said, “That means they aren’t worth buying.”

To this day, I still want my Sea Monkeys. I think that life is like that, sometimes you have to learn the hard way. It would have done me good to watch a bowl of smelly, brackish water teem with little maggot like creatures.

A more recent example of this was something that happened a couple of years ago. It was late at night and I was flipping around and came across Jewelry Television or JTV as the old ladies call it. Now, in the somber light of day, I would never watch such a program, but it was past midnight and my husband had gone to bed. I watched as the southern lady with very yellow hair paraded one bejeweled spec-

tacle after another. Names like ‘Diamonique’ were being thrown about. I knew that what they were selling was crap, yes I knew it, but something primal in me said, “Sea Monkeys, for women.” There was this ring. Rare green garnet and there were only 50,000 of them left.

I wanted it and now that I’m a grown up, there is no one to stop me. No one to say, “You can’t buy that, it’s crap, you’ll regret it.”

So I did. I ordered one rare green garnet ring.

It arrived a week later. I quickly unwrapped the package to find that the illustration did not depict Artemia at all. (Metaphorically speaking) The stones were not dark green but instead, a weak insipid pale color. The gold was so thin that the stones were barely hanging on for dear life. I put it on and a stone fell out.

After sending it back at my expense, they did give me a credit, minus the original shipping and handling. It was a thirty dollar mistake and I’m not ashamed. Yes, I knew better but sometimes that’s just how it has to be.

Once I was in a supermarket and a little boy was crying. An exasperated mother was trying to get her boy to stop calm down. I listened in on the conversation. “Ethan, why did you take that?”

“I saw it, and I wanted it.”

Some things never change.

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39

Interview with Madam Survivor

Cindy Pivacic

An inspiring and unique story for the pages of ADV? No, this is a story of a white South African women who has beaten the odds against HIV. There is such a misconception of the prevalence of AIDS/HIV amongst the white community here in South Africa and in all reality across the globe.

Unfortunately many of us have become complacent regarding AIDS and HIV. It is no longer in the media as much as it was many years ago, and there is the idea that the South African stats have come down.

Well yes they have but by a mere 50 000 and that is not particularly much overall.

The statistics for new infections in South Africa for 2014 is sitting at 340 000, 2012 was 400 000.

3Ÿ of a million people – there are countries in this world that do not even have that many people. And of course these are people who have had themselves tested, so the question arises how many more are there who are walking around with this disease without even knowing about it.

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Cindy’s story begins in 2004. Twice divorced, she meets someone else. She is clever enough not to have unprotected sex. However! There is one occasion where there was a mishap with the condom breaking. Cindy being the ever so practical or perhaps not, because as she points out she really didn’t know much about aids. Just thinks well it has happened and there is nothing to be done, little knowing that she had a 72 hour period where she could very well have gone to the clinic or doctor and obtained prophylactics (ARV’s) which should have given her a 99% surety of not contracting this dreaded sickness.

time she never received any pre or post counselling with regards to her status and all that goes with this.

Part of the reason that pushed her into counselling as her profession.

Strictly speaking Cindy should no longer be alive today. Reason being after her diagnosis of HIV, she has had 2 strokes, TB meningitis, pneumonia, and shingles, comatose for 2 weeks and has overcome a rare form of cancer often associated with AIDS – namely a cancer of the glands which was at stage 3. She can definitely wear the nickname of Survivor with pride and joy.

Now to tell you Cindy’s remarkable story. A surviCindy kept her dis-ease a secret for 6 years, and it vor of note is what comes to mind. In theory she was during this time that she landed in hospital and should no longer be. was in a coma. Her Mom came up from Port Elizabeth in the Easter Cape to Durban to visit her.

As I said she found out about her status in 2004 in a Whilst in this state, her mother in the room, the rather round about manner. Her then partner had doctor asks the nurse whether Cindy is on ARV’s. become ‘’ill’’ meaning he had 3 or 4 bouts of seThe doctor was more than likely extremely lucky vere stomach cramps. The last attack being so sethat she was in a coma as Cindy would have given vere that Cindy rushed him off to hospital where he him a mouth full that the sea would not have was booked in and they performed emergency surwashed him clean, for revealing something like that gery on him for his bowl was perforated. in front of others – albeit family but they actually had not been informed. She came out of hospital After his operation he informed Cindy that he had and went home and her mom stayed for a bit. It decided to be tested for HIV whilst being in hospiwas on the drive taking her mom back to the airport tal. And Cindy – bless her soul asked ‘’whatever that her Mom blurted out to her ‘’you have AIDS’’ for, you were operated due to your stomach cramps and Cindy replied ‘’yes’’. As she says you can’t – which turned out to be a perforated bowl’’. Well hide anything from a Mother. It still took her a few guess what the outcome of his testing was? Yes, he years before she decided to make her status public. was HIV positive. From there Cindy decided it best And she is a lady after my own heart, nothing small she have herself tested as well. She had a full week and insecure about her. She went global with her to wait for her results, time enough to convince herstatus via social media. The response was overself she was going to receive a positive testing as whelming and people have been only supportive all the result. And lone behold, yes it was. round.

It was whilst being on Carte Blanche (a South African Investigative TV programme) that in a roundabout way Cindy found out that by then ex-partner had known about his HIV status for some years.

This came via a friend of his previous girlfriend who lives in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape.

I asked her what her reaction was to getting the news that she was now infected with what she terms the ‘’Dis-Ease’’ – the HIV virus. And her answer is: “I often tell people I was too stupid to be scared and misinformed/uninformed and she realised there was nothing she could do about it, and just had to accept the cards dealt to her’’. And as she said ‘’that was still in the days when you thought you were going to die very soon’’. Throughout this

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y o rt m p D I p u A -S 3 4 y 2 e n 3 r 9 u 0 o J PO N

Fight Cancer & Aids Cindy when she lost her hair

Contact Details:

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44

PROTEIN AND THE STOMACH BY

DEBORAH SUTHERLAND It had been a busy day. I was run off my feet with all the demands of the day; preparing the new veggie garden using the Hugelkulture principals-(meaning hill-culture), preparing the veggies for our next batch of ferments, customers purchasing their digestive aid products with all the in between bits that keep me moving from one task to the other at a rather brisk pace. The work day had come to an end, leaving the property quiet and still. I felt drawn to the garden. Capturing the last of the days sun rays, I allowed the peace of the garden to fill my rather frazzled being, and felt the day gently calm down. I reflected back on my conversations and one of the key notes that popped up was clients referring to their uncomfortable tummies, indigestion, bloated, acid reflux.

This month I will shed a little light on our Stomach and what makes for a happy tummy.

Protein and the Stomach; Digesting protein is the main function of the stomach. Nature has provided our stomachs with digestive juices that are normally, strong acids ie hydrochloric acid (HCL). These acids help to break down the protein into amino acids which are the only forms of protein that can be carried by your blood stream. These acid stomach juices, when strong enough, reduce all protein foods to a pulpy mass. Not only is the hydrochloric acid an effective pulverizer, it is also a powerful germ killer. When your stomach is healthy, your juices are strongly acidic; your food digests instead of putrefying.

Ordinarily, the billions of bacteria that get into your stomach each day falls into a strong acidic bath and are destroyed. If your stomach acids are not strong enough to kill all those invaders, or don’t adequately break down your protein foods, the food lingers longer than it is supposed to, resulting in fermentation, and an increase of the wrong type of acid.

The parietal cells in the stomach manufacture HCL. Normal function of parietal cells can be affected by different factors such as chronic inflammation, stress, or free radical activity. They can also be damaged by the overuse of antacids. Balanced HCL levels also help to destroy organisms swallowed in food (preventing parasitic infection). Therefore low stomach acid carries an increased risk of yeast, mold and bacterial infections - invaders that don't belong in the GI tract.

These are some ways that you can support your stomach acid: - Freshly squeezed organic lemon juice in filtered water first thing in the morning.

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250ml of filtered water with 2 teaspoons of raw organic apple cider vinegar upon waking. I use Kombucha Vinegar and find it as effective.

Ayurvedic herb, Trikatu, acts as an adaptogen by helping the body to produce more of its own HCL and digestive enzymes, thereby increasing nutritional absorption.

Fermented foods and beverages are not only rich in vitamin B’s, including B12, but are great tummy support and GI support.

Sit down to your meals and Chew your food! The way we eat our food is another indication of the state of our tummies.

Decrease consumption of coffee, tea, tobacco, sugar, alcohol, spices from hot peppers/hot sauce, and fried foods - all deplete HCL and thin the gut lining.

Stress management- Good spirits (of the mind) are essential for proper digestion No more “alkalizer” tablets and powders. All-Natural practices have lasting benefits.

NOTE: If you do not have adequate HCL in your stomach, you will not be able to digest vitamin B12, which is a vitamin required for brain health. kitchen counter overnight. Place in the fridge in the morning. From this mixture you will chew ½ to 1 teaspoon before your main meals (2 x day) and when done, spit out the pulp. Do this for 2 to 4 weeks. Once you begin to feel a ‘burn in the belly’, do less.

Fermented Recipe: A food-Based way to balance stomach acid This is an Asian practice that trains the body to secrete adequate stomach acid.

Ginger Pickle Ingredients 1 Full ginger root Juice of 1 organic lemon 1 teaspoon Himalayan salt Instructions Peal the ginger root and grate.

Place it in a jar with the juice of the lemon and the Himalayan salt. Mix it together and leave on the Kitchen counter overnight. Place in the fridge in the morning. From this mixture you will chew 1 teaspoon before your main meals (2x daily) and when done, spit out the pulp. Do this for 2 - 4 Weeks.

Once you begin to feel a ‘’burn in the belly’’, do less.

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NATURAL REMEDY

Cayenne is gently warming to creaky joints, unlike the burning sensation you get with capsaicin creams. When the coconut oil is in its solid state, it stays put better on my lower back.

Cautions: Cayenne powder can be irritating to skin. Test your sensitivity on a small area before widespread use.

Ingredients: 1 cup coconut oil 4 tablespoons cayenne powder Cayenne Pepper * Coconut Oil * Recipe Instructions: Balms/Salves : If the coconut is solid heat gently until it liquefies.

Stir in the cayenne powder, mixing well.

Place in a warm location where it will be convenient to stir occasionally.

I use my yogurt maker on the kitchen table, but a sunny window or warm cupboard will do.

After 7 to 10 days stop stirring. Keep the coconut oil warm so it does not become solid yet. Give the powder time to settle to the bottom of the jar. This can be 2 to 3 days. When the oil is clear(er), pour off the top into a clean jar, discarding the gunky powder residue .

Coconut oil is solid at room temperatures below 75 degrees, so this salve becomes more of an oil in the summer if you don't keep it cool. You will want a container flexible enough that you can either pour or dip, depending on the solid/liquid state of the coconut oil. ~http://www.anniesremedy.com/~ 47

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RECIPE FOR SEPTEMBER BASIL DRESSING PEACH, BASIL & GOAT CHEESE SALAD WITH MA PLE & HERB VINEGAR DRESSING Traditional culinary basils (Ocimum basilicum) are a staple culinary herb! Julienne or tear it to add to salad, Mediterranean mixes of cheese and tomatoes or bruschetta, or top off a soup (like this *amazing* roasted tomato-corn-basil soup recipe!). Scramble it into eggs with mozzarella....

Purple basil tastes pretty much like regular basil but offer a punch of color that looks as great in a dish as it does in the garden. Just know that once cooked or purred it will turn an unappealing grey-purple shade, so use it in fresh dishes and as a topper.

It holds its flavor very well when dried.

Peach, Basil & Goat Cheese Salad with Maple & Herb Vinegar Dressing Ingredients 1 large lettuce 1 small bunch purple basil, torn Baby tomatoes (optional) Olives (optional)

60 ml sliced cheese (goat, blue, vegan…)

• 2 peaches, sliced • 60 ml maple syrup • 60 ml tarragon vinegar (or to taste) Arrange on plate: greens, then basil, cheese, peaches. In a small bottle, combine syrup and vinegar to taste and drizzle over salad.

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By Nicolette Henderson www.tranquilityhealth.co.za E-Mail: nicolette@tranquilityhealth.co.za

Owner of Tranquility health and beauty, qualified in holistic, beauty and sports therapies. Accredited with ITEC, SAAHSP, CIBTAC and CIDESCO, having done 3 years of study and over 600 hours of documented practical experience at the Camelot International Training College.

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When should I not go for a massage?

The following conditions are an absolute no-no for massage.

Having contagious or infectious diseases, especially if it is viral or bacterial (there is a high risk of cross -infection).

Respiratory tract infection, eg pneumonia, TB, bronchitis, sinusitis or a head cold: The reason for this is that lying down will be uncomfortable and breathing will be difficult.

Fever: Massage can accelerate the illness further by increasing the blood circulation, thus spreading the organism.

Cancer : No massage, especially if the cancer is still spreading.

Heart disease (severe): Massage improves blood circulation and blood pressure and this may affect the heart if it is weak.

Acute rheumatoid arthritis: The skin and joints will be too sensitive to massage and the increased circulation may cause discomfort.

Bruising/bleeding disorders: The skin will be too sensitive to massage and extreme caution should be taken with this disorder.

Alcohol or drugs: Anyone under the influence will be affected more because of the increase in circulation.

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Local conditions: These areas should be avoided if they present with the following: ● Acute trauma (wounds, bleeding, bruising and sunburn) ● Non-infectious skin conditions (eczema and psoriasis) ● An undiagnosed lump ● Inflammation ● Phlebitis ● Thrombosis Precaution should be taken if the client has: Varicose veins – massage may be painful.

If the client is pregnant: Massage is not recommended in the first 16 weeks.

Diabetes: The skin and muscle is weaker and more prone to damage and the client has less sensation of pain. Massage itself may change levels of blood sugar.

Sources: Source: Camelot International sports massage manual (2013)

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Photography By Anela 54

The Story of my Abuse and Survival By Parri

Dick and I had been dating since May 2013 (till April 2015) own counselling sessions because of the emotional breakdowns I was experiencing.

He was 41 with a son of 15 and daughter of 5. Divorced 3 years. Had been in a few short relationships before me. He is a Bipolar Narcissist.

He promised me repeatedly that we could go as a family, but always had excuses when it came to the crunch.

I was 39, No kids. Divorced 2 years. My first relationship since divorce. I am an empath He told me early on in the relationship that he is being treated for bipolar mood disorder, which should have made me turn and run for my life.

But he was loving, kind, very charming, a total gentleman, treated me with respect and consideration, sang my praises and made me laugh.

Within our relationship he was unable to talk about anything emotional and after many fights and tears from me, he eventually said that he does not know what emotion, empathy and support mean or how to give it. In fact, the very first time I told him I love him, he replied by saying he does not know what And that is where our journey began. love is. Has never experienced it, and does not know Little did I realize that (in my opinion) his childhood how to give or receive it. I told him I would show him what love and care are all about, which I did. trauma and abuse would play as much of a role, if (Little did I know.......) not bigger, than the bipolar symptoms.

Fortunately I had a very good relationship with both his kids as well as with his ex-wife. (Which he abso- He says his mother has never hugged him, nor told him she loves him or that she's proud of him. They lutely hated.) don't really have much of a relationship at all and I had been pleading with him since very early on in from what I understand she was greatly responsible for his childhood trauma. our relationship for us all to go for family counselling and for him to have psychotherapy in conjunction with his bipolar meds. I eventually went for my

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From the few things he has shared with me regarding his childhood, I believe that he set "survival" skills in place, developed belief systems and made personal oaths like:

away from him. Which could not be further from the truth. It’s because I did care so much for them that I wanted to see them have a happy, loving father daughter relationship.

“I will Never show emotion again. Emotion means weakness. I can never be weak” “I will Never be bullied or controlled again." And in turn became the bully and control freak.

“I will Never be hurt, rejected or pushed away again". So he does it, instead of possibly receiving it.

When he experiences emotions like hurt or rejection he goes straight into anger and verbal attack mode.

He is convinced that his ex-wife and I discuss him and plot against him. Also that we are trying to take his daughter away from him. Even when she has told him to his face that he lies about promising to stop shouting and tells him she does not want to be with him, cause of that. Does he honestly think that if his daughter is happy being with him that anything that anyone else says will change that? She may be 7 years old, but she talks and thinks with more intellect than many adults I know. She is very very smart.

And is wide awake to what is going on around her, regarding family matters.

" I will Never be a victim again" And now has no clue what support, empathy and true caring is. (he often told me to stop acting like a victim when I showed emotion or needed his support. The day I told him that my closest uncle had suddenly died and we were all devastated, his response was " oh well, we all have to die someday”) “Survive at all and any cost". His favourite quote is "I don't do sick". Just get a pill and fix it. No caring & empathy when someone is ill. In fact most of the time he completely ignores that you're sick. Life goes on as usual.

And yet, she is still only 7, with a small and tender soul. She's a little girl and needs her daddy to be her loving, tender, caring hero. A role model for how a man should treat a woman. With TLC, consideration and gentleness. And above all RESPECT RESPECT RESPECT!! (which for me is even more important than 'love')

When it comes to dealing with personal conflict or So he goes to his Psychiatrist for meds to 'fix' his bi- confrontation, he either ignores it as though it does polar ( which has not been effective at all), but won’t not exist, or he goes into attack mode with verbal go for the psychotherapy that is equally as important, assault, constant blame and name calling. He takes NO responsibility for the way he behaves. It’s alcause that will mean facing and talking about his ways the other persons fault, whether it be me, his horrific past, and remember, emotion means weakson, his daughter, his ex-wife or anyone else... ness and survival is all that matters.

It becomes a vicious cycle, which does nothing but He also can't confront in an adult, calm manner. He push away the people that he is closest to.

His son left his house after they had a massive fight always had to shout... very loud! Whether it be at us, at his tenants, his work staff or even strangers in on 24 Aug 2014. He has not been back since. Does not take his dad's calls, nor responds to any messag- public. es.

I loved Dick with my all, but left 22 Nov 2014, and relocated across the country with my parents. Leaving him was worse for me than my divorce, I had dreamed of a life with him and his kids.

I mentioned to him that if he does not get his daughter (now 7), to a psychologist he will lose her, and very soon.

She and I are extremely close and she shared a lot with me about how she felt. I'd been telling him for months what she says and he brushed it off, saying she's manipulating me, and it actually always ended in a fight between him and I, because his daughter confided in me. He said he has everything under control and I was interfering and trying to have her taken 56

A regular fight consisted of shouting, name calling, swearing, false accusations, threats, blame, blame and more blame and having the phone thrown in my face, or telling me to get out of his house. He accuses the other person of exactly the things he is doing and the way he is behaving. In the beginning I backed away and just cried cause of the absolute shock of being treated this way. Then someone said "shout back". Not sure if that was a good or bad thing, it was absolute war from then on. Neither of us backed down, and I have no doubt that if I had not left, it would have become physical. His treatment of me and constant false accusations and never allowing me to explain a point he misinterpreted or made an assumption of, was leading me to a point of frustration and anger where I was going to reach a point of no return..

mood outburst, even at your own expense. You say yes and amen and agree (even if you actually don't).

He required constant admiration and to be boosted and agreed with.

I had become someone I didn't know or like. My friends and parents said I was a stranger to them.

I am a loving, gentle, nurturing, caring person by nature. A rescuer... I work with Wildlife that have been injured or orphaned. So rescue, rehabilitate and release is part of who I am. So subconsciously, I think that Dick was like an injured little bird that needed help, but after having many emotional meltdowns, I became the injured little bird, with nothing left to give.

I gave him my body, mind and soul and also nearly lost it. Now it’s time for me to heal and find myself again.

He is a total work-a-holic. works 6 days a week.

And is always busy at home. He can't sit still for one minute in quiet peace in his own company. He hates He totally blames my mom and step dad for the fact that I decided to move here with them and did not being alone. accept his marriage proposals. 4 of them in the last 3 Every single time we fought, we broke up, cause of days before I left. Desperate grasping at straws to the intensity of our fights. So that was often. And a make me stay.. And yet, I had moved all my belongfew days later, he would carry on as if nothing ever ings in with him in September, (2 months earlier) happened, all would be lovey dovy again and I'd go planning a life with him, we had already chosen an engagement ring to be made. I was mostly still stayback. So this distance was the only way. I told him ing at mom's house helping to pack up the house and that we both needed time out to heal and grow and business. In that time the fighting got so bad I knew change. We had destroyed each other with our staying would end badly for us all. But again, he mouths, it was a dangerously escalating situation, accepts NO responsibility for the outcome and inand a tragedy was imminent. stead chooses to blame others. The ones that offered me a life line and support, he now makes out to be I had become an anxious, nervous, egg shell walkthe enemy & the cause of me leaving.. He just ing monster. I was in permanent defence / attack doesn't GET it!! Why would I have left him if I was mode (adrenal fight or flight of note) and I'd bite happy with him & planning a life with him and his anyone's head off that did anything which seemed like confrontation. I was like a cobra who is hooded, kids?? lifted off the ground and cornered, just waiting to I loved Dick very deeply. strike at anything that moves.

It has changed me and affected every single aspect of my life. My life revolved around Dick and keeping him and the kids happy. My own friends and family just became nil and void. In fact, Dick does not believe that I even have friends or family, because he said I never ever spoke about them or arranged for us to visit with them.. Perfect narcissist programming.

Being with someone that has a mood / personality disorder you learn to read body language very well.

Every move, every look, every word, every action tells you something. And you respond accordingly (Programming). You do whatever it takes to avoid a

I felt we had a soul connection that you are lucky to have with even one person in a lifetime. (Programming). He could be the most loving, caring, giving person, but when I least expected it, he'd rip my carpet out from under me and I'd hit the ground, Hard!!. The wonderful and amazing qualities and times we shared, were sadly over powered by the mood swings, intense fights and his general treatment of me. There was no consistency. What was ok today, would get you blasted off the planet tomorrow. He also made constant promises and commitments and when it came to fulfilling them, he said he had the right to change his mind and there is no 57

such thing as expectation, so we were not allowed to honesty, etc. Where he does value me for the person be upset about it... But let one of us do the same I am, without the verbal abuse, blaming, condemnthing........... ing, shouting, cruelty etc.

He still treated me with contempt and I still allowed it..

After 2 years of living with what I thought were symptoms of Bipolar, I have come to believe, with NO doubt in my mind, that he has NPD - Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

He has no friends, not even one. Most people we know were referred to as stupid, dumb, house wife and have derogatory nick names. And these are neighbours and parents of his daughter's friends that had helped him with many things in the past. And when he spoke badly about them I would just stay silent or nod or agree, cause opposing his opinion had very dire consequences. Even discussing something that we needed to change within the relationship (on BOTH sides), or something he did to hurt me ended in a fight. He'd say "you are not hurt", diminished how I felt and experienced things, NEVER gave me a chance to explain myself, refused to read my messages cause he didn't want to or said they are not important. He told me to ignore his moods, to get a life and stop being a victim and that I must just be happy, cause he has so much to offer me. (word for word what he wrote to me in a message) He takes everything personally and as a direct critical attack on him, and then he brings out the big guns and the verbal assault and accusations begin.

When we'd have a discussion about our relationship, regarding things to address, I'd say 'we' and he immediately started with 'you'. Always accusing and blaming.

Yet, I longed to be in his arms and we spoke about a future and me moving back, so I booked a flight to spend 10 days with him over Easter 2015. I was so incredibly excited to see him. I knew he was going to propose to me and that left me with anxious mixed feelings. My heart was excited, but my gut KNEW the truth, so there was an internal turmoil and battle going on inside my head.

I continued to research personality disorders and although I had suspected for a long time that he is a true narcissist, it just seemed so horrific and extreme that I had been in total denial about it. I also could not accept that me, an intelligent, witty, strong woman could be this fooled. So his behaviour was To say that I am physically, mentally and emotionalblamed on the Bipolar and medication that was not ly finished would be an understatement of note! working.

And there is more........... So I moved across the Reading other victim's stories really hit home for country in November 2014 to get away from the me. It was as if I was reading my own journal. I was constant cycle of break up – make up, thinking that blown off my feet to see that these predators even the distance would end it once and for all. And have a type of universal language. The things they guess what..... He STILL managed to entrap me! say, the ways they say them, even word for word.

He had programmed me so well over the 2 years It’s like there is an abuse manual out there that they that he knew exactly which buttons to press. He all refer to for the best results. could operate me with remote control and know EXACTLY how I would respond, like I had no will of The shock of this truth had me in a terrible state. So my own. It’s crazy! many questions, such doubt and confusion. But ultimately I knew that if I did go back I would end up And of course distance made me forget the bad dead. times and just intensified that pie in the sky, unrealI was exhausted from 3 days of nothing more than istic dream in my head. That dream where he DOES reading about this destructive disorder. treat me with respect, tenderness, care, empathy, He called me the Monday morning all friendly and nurturing, consideration, affection, appreciation, excited. It was a week before my flight to go to him.

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I just burst into tears. He started laughing, I didn't even feel offended, and I’d had enough practice to know he had no clue how to handle me when I was upset. I tried to discuss it with him, he said he was busy but would call me back later. (Luckily I didn't hold my breath).

I sent him messages and said that we need to talk, giving him an idea of the topic, but of course taking the blame for his behaviour. As you can imagine that didn't go down well with him and another fight was in full swing. I FINALLY managed to walk out of his life the day of the flight which was the day before my 41st birthday. That was 2 weeks ago.

It has by no means been an easy road, although one would think that the obvious result of leaving an abuser would be great relief and joy. But Most of my thoughts have been doubt and confusion. “Am I right?” “Is he the really the sick one in this relationship?” “Did I do the right thing by leaving?” “Have I made a mistake?” “Did he ever really love me?”

“Was any part of this relationship real? Or was the entire thing just a manipulated, controlled, pre planned farce?”

nipulation until FULL control is achieved. And you are nothing more than the puppet on their string, dancing to their music and they even make you believe it’s what you want! They destroy every single bit of who you are.

Never doubt or underestimate their ability to manipulate, deceive and destroy. It’s a missile aimed straight at the core of your very soul.

The 'happy' times quickly became few and far between and that's no way to live.

Your partner is supposed to bring out the best in you and help you grow as a person.

We had certainly not done that. And for my own sanity and well-being I have FINALLY chosen to walk away from this toxic situation for good.

I Finally Loved myself enough to put ME first.

(To be Continued in the October Issue)

The questions racing through my mind are endless.

I keep asking myself WHY I allowed him to treat and manipulate me this way. Why did I keep going back? Why is it so hard to get over him? I am a strong willed woman. It all comes back to the way they program you right from the start. 'Subtle' ma-

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By

Lou Worldweaver

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A medical school graduation ceremony for example is a ritual with the intent of transitioning an individual from being a student into becoming a doctor who can now practice medicine.

Ceremony doesn't always need to be complicated or presided over by an authority figure, spiritual teacher or leader. It can exist in every moment of the day with both simplicity and elegance. Ceremony can be as simple as greeting the morning sun and filling yourself with its life giving light. It can come from asking the caress of the wind on your face to help clear and empty your mind of confusing and cluttering thoughts or taking a moment to offer thanks for the food you are about to eat. Ceremony helps you to reframe your perspective by taking you outside of your normal everyday way of seeing and doing things by refocusing your attention on being in touch with both the world around you and within you. When you engage in ceremony you are asking yourself to see, feel, hear and sense your experience with greater awareness and clarity. Ceremony will also empower and support you to find new solutions or new perspectives to whatever challenge or issue you are currently dealing with.

Your desire to learn about yourself and improve your quality of life is fuelled by your soul’s hunger for change and growth. Ceremony is a simple, powerful and effective tool to make 62

these changes happen as well as bringing you a greater sense of satisfaction and fulfilment with your life. To be in ceremony is to place the rest of the world on hold, letting it drift away to focus on the experience of the moment. The moment possesses the power and energy needed to make the changes that will be both productive and fruitful for you. The type of change and impact it will have is dependent on the intent you set for yourself and how consciously present or mindful you can be during the ceremony. Remaining present puts you in a state of introspection which opens the doorway to your inner wisdom, also known as your intuition. It is through your intuition that you will find the answers you seek and the wisdom to know what needs to change.

These transformational moments feed your soul’s hunger and set you on the path of self-discovery.

Another type of ceremony which is more complex in nature and structure, is the Sweat Lodge. It has a uniquely powerful ability to purify, rejuvenate and re-establish health on all levels. Metaphorically, the Sweat Lodge symbolizes the Earth's womb, introspection and the feminine. The door to the lodge always faces the fire which represents the spark of life, your connection to spirit and the masculine. The feminine womb space of the lodge holds the potential for the change you desire while the masculine expansive energy of the fire provides the opportunity to focus on birthing something new in yourself.

The dance chief or water pourer, leads the ceremony by combining the pouring of water over heated rocks and the ceremonial ritual in order to accelerate your energetic vibration and increase your frequency. It can be likened to shaking a tree to make the dead leaves fall off. In dropping its dead leaves the tree can fo-

cus more of its energy on the life giving leaves bringing more vitality, health and strength to the tree. When you open up in this way by letting go of old patterns and behaviours(the dead leaves), you make space for change and have more energy to hold a more powerful, positive and clearer mind, body and soul. When you participate in a Sweat Lodge Ceremony, you can let go of what isn’t currently working in your life and welcome in what will work. It will open the door to new insights and balance your physical, emotional, spiritual, mental and energetic levels. Once the ceremony is complete, exiting the lodge symbolizes your rebirth as you step into reality with a fresher, rejuvenated and revitalized new you. Although it has a structure, the ceremony, the theme, and the participants are always different, therefore each sweat lodge is a unique experience unto itself. Participating in regular Sweat Lodge ceremonies is a natural, beautiful and empowering way to use ceremony to maintain and sustain health and well being in your life on all levels.

Establishing an intent before you begin your day is a simple and easy way of bringing ceremony into your life so you can effectively bring positive growth and change into your life.

Below you will find the Blessed Beauty Way Prayer which comes from an ancient ceremonial tradition accredited to the Navajo. It speaks of beauty and the many ways in which beauty can be perceived and experienced. Every morning, before you get busy with your day, take just a minute or two to quiet your mind, breathe and relax. Then read this prayer out loud as a way of setting the intent to have beauty become a part of everything you will experience during your day. If you do this for the next 7 days you will find that your perspective on things will have changed and you will be able to find beauty more easily in all the arenas of your life, even in the places you least expected.

May you walk in Beauty,

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I greet you all and thank you for allowing me to stand with you in the circle of light .

My wish is for you to read, absorb what is meant for you and help the circle grow and shine with more light.

The focus for this month is humanity As human beings, what is your role? Are you life givers, healers, helpers? That is a role a lot of you wish was the answer, but this is not the case.

You have been given choices, what choices you make are your journey and your consequences.

Each will live and learn by the choices they make, the crowds they follow, the doctrine they live by, the separation and destruction they cause.

It is with sadness that the Universe looks down upon you and sees anything but harmony, but then again, everyone learns at their own pace. This world after all is an illusion and a learning ground. .

Every one of you CAN make a difference though, you may not be able to save the lions, save the elephants, save the cruelty , enlighten the powerful and greedy from themselves, and inflicting pain and horror on others with no concern or thought, but you may just be able to make a difference to 1 life.

It matters not whether it is human, animal or vegetable. The matters that you saw, you felt, you remembered compassion and reached out and gave life, a smile, hope, healing, food, water, concern.

It is not about shouting it from the rooftops, how angry you are, this does nothing except glorify and spread the anger, the greed, giving them their 5 minutes of fame and power over peoples thoughts and emotions……..

It is about DOING one thing daily to make a difference in one life …. At the very least this is what you should be striving to do.

I leave you surrounded by light and guidance, to be that difference Atenar 65

RUNE READING FOR September By Amethyst Moon Dancer

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Message for September From Archangel Michael By Angelic Realm “Greetings beloved children of the Light, it is I Michael. I am honored to bring to thee all the guidance needed at this time.

I would ask each and everyone of thee to find stillness in thine everydays. Many of thee begin thine day rushing ahead, facing many responsibilities and this trend continues for the rest of thine day and flows into weeks, months and years, which depletes thine energy reserves and creates a hole of weariness and despondency deep inside of thee.

I ask of thee all to begin and end thine days with a few minutes of stillness, by stilling thine mind and thine body, so as to allow us a vacuum, a space, for us the begins of light that walk with thee, to connect with thee and give to thee what is needed. By doing this, thee will all see thine everydays will not deplete thee in anyway and thee all will become stronger and lighter as the human days pass.

I also ask of thee all to become more mindful as thoust walketh through your days. Be aware of all the subtle treasures, memories and sights that pass by so quickly and I assure thee a deep peace, calm and contentment will become thine constant allie.

Unto thee all, I bring great blessings and love from thee Almighty God, I am thee Archangel Michael�.

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Love is an energy that has captured the imagination of artists since the beginning of time. It is an indefinable energy that manifests in a multitude of forms. It is a collectively shared experience and multi-toned felt experience. We KNOW it as source energy (for many an unconscious memory), thus seeking it, yet not truly knowing how to BE it.

When I talk about love, I talk about the kind of love that asks nothing, yet gives everything. It is in my view and ecosphere of love that enables conditions capable of sustaining life.

Bea Potgieter Registered Clinical Psychologist in Independent Practice Children’s Book Author, Professional Speaker & Poet B.Soc.Sc.; B.Soc.Hon. Psych; M.Soc.Sc.Clin. Psych. (UFS) 2002 PS 0080128; PR. No.: 010837

It is the Love which is not directed at or belongs to one or a selected few beings, things or objects. It is the energy that does not detract, subtract, divide, control, hold, discriminate, but the renewal energy that encompasses and embraces all. Exactly the way a biosphere does.

It is the energy that our planet needs to effect sustainable change. The true pure desire to protect & create is born from Love. Love is like the sun - a life-sustaining force. Yet, I am calling for an ecosphere of love an energy-field – a biosphere that enables living organisms to flourish and grow - an energy that protects us from the soul-destroying elements of the world.

Like the biosphere of our planets allows the light in, whilst protecting us from what can destroy us.

For me Love is the gift of witnessing all beings living in and through their unbounded, joyful, spontaneous, soulful, loving, infinite, divine authentic expression and gifts. Love is ultimately the gift of gifting self: “When I give, I give myself.” ~ Walt Whitman

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Here I would like to give you my translation of what an Ecosphere of Love can look like. My chosen language poetry:

To let the sun be shone on everyone is not the task of anyone It will be done it does not ask permission from anyone Tis the privilege of the beautiful one to shine its light on all and everyone Children of the sun Love befalls the earth’s daughters and sons in Heart in Love in Peace in Hope in Courage The true glory of Love’s true story We become ONE

The Beauty of Gifting One’s Heart The Beauty of gifting one’s heart in full passion’s bloom…

The Beauty of gifting one’s heart in sorrow’s winter afternoon…

The Beauty of gifting one’s heart into the space between bodies apart…

The Beauty of gifting one’s heart in a single compassionate glance…

The Beauty of gifting one’s heart in authentic presence…

It is love in natural yarns weaving its magical tale of belonging to a colony beyond our knowing ©

On my continuous journey I have discovered that each and every experience deepens our presence in life, allowing us to be more soulful in our engagement with life. Each and every experience expands our understanding and appreciation of life and love.

In each and every experience we discover the hidden gift of Love.

Love continues to wash upon the shores of our surrendered experience Endless teachings in the sense of its ever-presence Synchronistic occurrences joining hands linking stories mapping conjoined journeys through Love’s Cosmic homeland ©

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THE SOUL OF LOVE IS EVERGREEN The soul of love is evergreen It moves through seasons touched and often unseen It seeks no reasons to transform what it loves into exquisite beauty It constantly transmutes and evolves Yet it is a consistent energy moving above as below It slumbers until awakened It is ever-present in the soul of the world It blooms when we embrace it when we invite it to become the companion we walk with beyond reason and logic Always listening with the internal ear to its sacred harmonies weaving a song which the open-hearted may hear The soul of love is evergreen It cleanses the eyes through which the world is seen It purifies the air we breathe It soothes the skin through which we let the world in It is the guardian of beginnings and endings It is rooted in the Earth whilst its wings soar freely above The soul of love is evergreen It offers strength against which we can lean Bathe in its heart of evergreen Š 72

Love is the true complexion of all beings….

The glow of Divine Love from your soul shows on the complexion of your Being Dancing with the light Light flecks of white gold in the sun Capturing Be-you-ti-ful Soulportraits Which only the soul’s eye may see if it be willing to honour its glory ©

Love is a colour which suits all…

Look at you the colour of Love suits you How beautiful you are When LoveLight is your North Star Shining through your soul to soul after soul Your skin becomes translucent revealing a map of the cosmos A radiance that filters through the pores of everything It is ultimately the colour of Love which softens the hardening of the world we live in ©

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Love is timeless‌ Beloved Souls lest we forget Love is not confined to an hour glass Deducted to a grain of sand Refugeed to the island of time It is the child of imagination and it belongs to the Heartland Transcends the temporal and lives in the subliminal Beloved Souls Love is a visitor and the Body its Divine Container Š

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Love is a voice through which the Universe rejoices…

Offer your gifts to the world with no restraint Do not hesitate when it is a little quaint Somewhat ridiculous Even a tad incredulous Love is not really a choice but a voice through which the almost unimaginable grace of the Universe Rejoice ©

In Love’s presence we are everything…

In love’s presence we are nothing yet everything We are something of indefinable quality We emerge in its midst Paradoxically as full yet incomplete Vulnerability a flowering Celebration of tacit embodiment an honouring of its becoming The filling out in the skin of being Its essence detected in the opening and sharing of its wonderment Not a vicarious enjoyment but a unique experience in love’s medley © 75

Love dissolves fear…

Love is the purest energy All Beings share against our common enemy Fear Love softens the boundary and blends our stories Filters our differences So to extract the purest nectar as it is a harvester of light Love is a force with a source which sprouts from the invisible but is the encapsulation of the living Love is the native living on the borderland of our true existence Should we invite love in and drink the nectar from the light of its center It shall breathe through our bodies and bless the Earth we walk on © Love imprints on all living…

The Cosmos in Blueprint Echoes from below conscious knowing Encoded in bone, muscle and skin Nature, Animal, Human Love imprints on all living Differences dissolve in its sacred presence On earth we are all kin and stewards for its beautiful unfolding So hold out your hands and cusp its glorious face Surrender to its gentle embrace Listen to its kinds true voice Move to its rhythm and grace Fill your lungs with gold from the sun Sing to the moon your joyous and sad tunes Make your home in the forest Trust every bee, flower, bird and tree Every creature that surrounds thee As they conspire in loving the life that is worth living ©

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Love is the invisible hand of gentleness and kindness‌ The invisible hand of gentleness reaches into the folds of humanness filling up the scars and creases The invisible hand of gentleness holds a space for every unfolding process As in nature the invisible hand of gentleness interacts with manifest chaos and imbalances until it settles into peaceful rest The invisible hand of gentleness ripples out into the world softening our human footprints inviting us to dance with Nature in soulfulness and find solace in the sanctuary of our hearts Gentleness‌.the invisible hand of Love

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Love is seeking beauty everywhere…

Love for this World Is holding tirelessly all the pain of this world in the embrace of love’s compassion It is seeking beauty beneath the desolate spaces left in the trail of brutal human destruction It is seeking soul in seemingly soulless faces It is holding hop when the markings of our human history leaves very little for the imagination It is accepting this world as one’s home for now the only home for this embodies soul A home to this journey of manifesting One’s life energy It is one’s acceptance of the invitation to participate with heartfelt intention in the co-creation of the human blueprint and for its evolution It is offering oneself for the full experience of being alive It is trusting that all one needs are already present waiting to unfold It is taking ownership of one’s place in the bigger picture that is the Whole

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Love is a beacon of hope…

discovering uncovering recovering

Time and time again The fragile human race Enters the abyss Of darkened space Spiritually Lost and bewildered Ecologically Displaced and ungrounded In the hope Of a splintered World That will rise and unite We stay focused On the beacons of light Carriers of grace And heartfelt intention Exuding gentle compassion And an implicit trust In a larger vision Beyond translation Felt through Love’s comprehension ©

awakening the universe within me inch by inch bringing to the surface of consciousness the extracted essences of energetic constellations syncing vibrations painstakingly piecing together mosaics into the One Soul Image of conscious creation inviting evoking catalysing Love’s eternal possibilities We are souls scattered across the earth. We speak in different tongues, yet we gravitate towards the same energy that binds us into a collective Soul. Whatever words we use, it all flows into one: LOVE

Love is the bridge between you and everything – Rumi One Conscious Creation

“Even after all this time the Sun never says to the Earth “You owe me.” Look what happens to a Love like that. It lights the whole sky.” ~ Hafiz May LoveLight shine through and upon you…

May your gits ripple out into the world…

May you BE a beauteous vessel for Love…

May your bond with the Earth be a source of strength, renewal, support & inspiration…

May you be wrapped ever so gently and protectively in an Ecopshere of Love…

Lioness Hugs & Roars Bea

I am not any-‘thing’ perhaps a complex confluence of energy in the form of a human-‘being’ breathing and living through experience from empti-ness to soul-ful-ness infinitely looping and spiraling deeper into

© All Rights Reserved: Writing, Poetry & Photography by Bea Potgieter

pools of unconsciousness merging with sacred bliss

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Hello everyone, welcome back to the Barnyard Sanctuary, where all life is precious, all creatures’ great and small are loved equally.

When the Barnyard decided to take in rescued Animals, the very first to arrive was Mrs Piglet, she was a tiny wriggling little ball, skinny with the loudest squeal that anyone had ever heard. Mrs Jen, the wife of Farmer Ben, wrapped this tiny piglet in a baby blanket, found a bottle that had been used for John, the youngest son. Mrs Jen fed the piglet some warm milk. The piglet almost groaned with pleasure, then Mrs Jen made a promise to the piglet that any living animal arriving at the Barnyard would get all the love in the world as well as the best food.

The piglet started growing bigger, and to name her, so the piglet became Piglet. A neighbour heard that a piglet called Piglet had been rescued and taken to the Barnyard Sanctuary. The neighbour called round to see Piglet. Mrs White the neighbour had pigs of her own, whom she loved very much. A litter had been born, sadly, the last born male was so tiny that the mother pig kept pushing him away, as she probably thought he wouldn’t live to grow big or strong.

Mrs White asked Mrs Jen if this little male pig could be brought to the Barnyard. Mrs Jen was thrilled. A friend for Piglet. Of course when the little piggy arrived Mrs Jen was worried he may not survive. But with the greatest love that a human could bestow on an Animal, the little boy piggy became fatter, grew taller.

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When Mrs Piglets litter arrived, the first ones out were Betsy, because she was jet black. Followed by Jetsy – also jet black. Betsy rhymes with Jetsy! Mrs Jen loves rhyming names. These were the very first babies born to rescue Animals at the Barnyard.

One day a van pulled up, a Lady got out in a shocking state, her hair in disarray, half crying and shouting, someone had abandoned a Mother Goat, the Father Goat, along with their new born kids.

So the Mother Goat became Mama Maa Goat, as Mama Maa Goat was frantic, her babies were screaming in terror and Papa Billy Goat kicking out his back legs to hurt anything within reach of his hooves. Mrs Jen called to Farmer Ben to urgently build a shelter for the night for the Goats.

The next day Farmer Ben made a lovely house for the Goats, warm for the winter, cool for the summer.

Enclosed by a very sturdy fence. We have to keep our animals safe, warm, loved and of course, well fed.

Mrs Jen watched the kids (baby Goats) playing, so they were named, Hippy, as she would throw her back legs up will they were higher than her hips.

Skippy looked to be skipping instead of walking, Hoppy as he seemed to hop around. Jumpy as he jumped around. Bumpy as he seemed to love bumping everything with his head.

As with all Animals, they each have their own personalities. They still keep their bloodline traits, but develop their own quirks as they grow older.

Betsy took the lead and seemed to take charge. Jetsy was happy to follow her on her quests around the Barnyard. Betsy was the first one born at the Barnyard Sanctuary took the lead.

Mama Goose was another rescue to arrive at the Barnyard along with Papa Goose, which Mrs Jen named Mama Gee and Gigwig and the Goslings born were named Winky, as she seemed to wink at Mrs Jen a lot, Binky rhymes with Winky, Windy was so named as he loved flapping his wings causing wind that raised dust storms, Bunky as he didn’t want to leave Mama Gee, he just wanted to bunk under her and sleep, then Scoot as he seemed to scoot around investigating all on the ground.

The little Goats, the Goslings were all happy to fall in with Betsy’s plans and adventures. More often than not, going up to the Barnyard house to visit Mrs Jen. Getting spoilt, stroked, of course, getting lots of nice treats to eat.

The Monkeys Minkywoo and Butterboo on their arrival at the Barnyard, they were so cute and clung to Mrs Jen too afraid to leave her neck. A place where they felt safe and loved. Their flight back to their jungle is set to take place within a few months. The Volunteer overseeing their home flight just has to 83

finalise some paperwork with the local and the overseas Governments. Mrs Jen feels very sad to lose them. Yet so happy they will be joining a troop that will become their family.

The poor Chimp was so terrified, when he was rescued, he screeched so much Mrs Jen had to name him – Chitterbox! Today he doesn’t scream in fear but with excitement, his way of ‘talking’ as he has so much to be grateful for at the Barnyard. Mrs Jen is hoping that someone will one day fly Chitterbox back to his own homeland. Where he can also become part of a family to call his own.

The Donkey was found along the roadside, looking so lost, so scared, also so very hungry and in need a good home, because Mrs Jen knew, that, with love and proper care, Mr Dingledon would soon become a lovely little Donkey. Being free to roam around at Barnyard. Now days, Mr Dingledon is a proud, happy guest, he really loves being petted and having kisses planted on his nose, especially by young pretty girls in their summer dresses.

The Zebra became Stripey, the Zoo that homed him couldn’t help him when he lost his best Friend, the Zoo tried to find him another friend, sadly this was taking such a long time. That Stripey was pining so much with grief that the Zoo felt that if, he could find a good home he may make a full recovery. Mrs Jen is still looking for another Zebra to come be friends with Stripey.

The Elephant was rescued from a circus, and her name was Dong! Such an ugly name for a magnificent Animal, so Mrs Jen had to rename her Shewhobefree ( She who should be free ) Mrs Jen is talking to an Animal Rights group to get Shewhobefree to be flown home to Africa to once again become part of a herd of Elephant to wander free on the plains with her own ‘kin’.

The Tiger was rescued from the same circus as the Elephant, Shewhobefree, so he became King Stripey, as the Tiger is King of the jungle in his part of the World. Luckily there are many Animal Lovers in the World, so they all help with getting lovely fresh food for King Stripey. When there is enough money raised, all the Wild Animals at the Barnyard will be returned to their own homes, the place they belong, where they can live their lives with out fear.

GARDENING

SPRING IN THE SOUHTERN HEMISPHERE By

Andre Duif September has arrived and spring is in the air! I went for a walk through the nursery and look at the different shades of white I found. Just beautiful!

Spring is truly a magnificent ”being” almost palpable, “something” you can reach out to and touch. It takes my breath away…..the smell of Jasmin, lavender, and young rose buds...…Gone are the dull, dry, dusty days of winter. So much happens in the garden during this beautiful time of the year. It’s the season when gardeners plant with great conviction, new flower beds are in the planning and even our spirits feel like they could be blooming anew.

Folks although Spring has sprung, we have not had rain in many parts of South Africa yet, so do water your garden to help with the spring blooms.

Remember it takes a lot of energy for your garden to go into spring mode, so like us, a good drinking is necessary every other day. Do keep in mind that water restrictions might be in place in certain areas, please respect watering rules where ever you are if any. I am actually in the process of finding ways to gather all my Grey water from home to use in the garden, but that will be a few pages of possibilities, so perhaps I will look into this for the October issue

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and have a report back to you with the products and or systems on the market.

Here are a few pointers of things to do in the garden during September: Prune away all dead, weak and crossing stems from roses. In the southern hemisphere many of us stick to pruning our roses on the 20th July, or on the solstice. I prune mine 4 times a year and it seems the more I prune the more they flower. I am talking about my white iceberg roses of course. They are just such prolific and happy growers and it always seems as if they give their all to fill our souls with joy. Also remember to spray your roses and other hard wooded shrubs with some lime Sulphur, to keep those unwanted pests and bugs at bay.

Prune back spring flowering shrubs immediately after they have finished blooming.

Hopefully we have had the last of the late winter cold spell, so any frosted plant material can also now be safely cut back. I must say that my Dad was a firm believer that we should wait until the 10th of September before doing anything drastic in the garden. I must say, like clockwork, my spring gardening only starts after the 10th. I do remember cold spells that totally devastated our spring garden, so folks it really is up to you. Rather safe than sorry I say.

Keep an eye on the topiaries as the quick spring growth can affect their shape. Snip off any growth that might have happened while they were covered, this will ensure a quick startup for growth again.

As the lawn starts to look a little high, a medium to short mowing is good to boost growth. Apply lawn fertilizer at the recommended rate and also apply your topsoil now. Water regularly and the lawn will be a lush summer green in no time.

Water spring flowering shrubs like azaleas and Hydrangeas to ensure a good show later in the season.

You can also feed your Azaleas and Hydrangeas now with readily available fertilisers from your local nursery.

Deadhead your pansies and violas regularly, so that they will continue to bloom through to November. I have found dead heading very therapeutic and the continued bursts of flowering most rewarding.

Stake alstroemerias and other perennials that have a tendency to fall over.

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Allow Daffodils and Narcissus to die down naturally and go brown; thus forming next year’s flower bulb.

Once all the leaves are dried up you can cut them back to ground level to rest till next year.

Repot any pot plants that look as if they could be ‘root bound’, i.e. the roots are growing out of the drainage holes. Either remove a little of the top soil and replace with new potting soil, or completely repot if necessary. After doing this water the plant sparingly, so that the plants do not rot before they have started rooting. Never fill the pot plant up to the rim of the pot with soil, always leave space for watering.

Happy Spring Folks, get those boots on and get gardening.

Till next month: “Lettuce Turnip the Spring Beet “!

Smile.

Andre

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Movement is life Lorraine Relleen Blue Belt Nia Teacher 031 7671690

Movement is life Lorraine Relleen Blue Belt Nia Teacher

(Tel) 031 7671690 www.niakzn.co.za

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Photography by

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