03 - MARCI Summer 07 by Linda Mitchell

Home Is Where the Heart Is How many of us have been looking for our heart’s desire over the course of, what seems like, a lifetime? This is not an uncommon theme, but one that is shared with a host of many who are trying to unmask who they are, by finding the courage to stand up and be heard----to acknowledge their own sense of self ----to express the passion of their deepest heart’s desire. This is the place, where we stop running and come home. Sometimes it takes going down that all too familiar path many times, and the insight that is received from all those we may encounter along the way, to finally unearth our true heart’s desire. It is that moment when one stands still long enough to find they are standing in their own garden and looking within---when they find that they always had the power to change their own destination and perception of how they viewed their world and their own life---that they too, had the power to manifest the life they spent years running after. In my own lifetime, I have spent many years looking for love in all the wrong places with the desire to mend a broken heart and bring peace into a world that felt painful. What I have found though, is that it is not enough to want to fix the outside world...

by LINDA MITCHELL-DOMINGUEZ Founder, HMN

I must come home to the place within myself to fight the demons that keep me from shining my light...to be my inspiration (heart’s desire) to the unlimited potential and possibilities that the Universe calls forth from me. The last fifteen years of my life have been a period of constant change, which I have sought for my own healing of the victimization role I placated. Certainly, coming into the healing arts has been a steady opportunity to take a deeper look at my own story and to see how my life has influenced the experiences that kept me in the same patterns and in an undeserving, loveless relationship with me.

Part of nurturing and nourishing is to spend time taking care of the most precious being of all...YOU! The articles in our Summer Edition are filled with inspiration of healing through courage to take responsibility for one’s life and to think the unthinkable no matter how small or huge the thought. The intimacies of thoughts shared, and stories told, continue to inspire the growth of MARCI. As we move into this edition of our summer theme, “Home Is Where the Heart Is,” we witness the fresh blooms that fill the pages within. We are blessed to have Sarah Collins share her talent as an inspiring poet. She has so inspired us that we have decided to include a poetry section in each of our newsletters. Mary Loughran (Mind & Body Center in Morristown, NJ) and Susan Read (Peaceful Paths in Butler, NJ) have certainly shared their calling, and have been led by their own heart’s desire to fulfill their passion by listening to that voice within that calls them home. Kathy Lynch’s courage to push through her own losses has freed her from a life that could have been quite different, if she hadn’t chosen to seek an “alternative” way. And, as Jan Jorritsma (Ideal Garden Center in Lafayette, NJ) reminds us… Children are our greatest teachers! Following your heart’s desire takes time to discover while walking in your own shoes. To unmask your true essence and accept yourself for who you are and to follow your own calling, by daring to step onto the path that takes you home. --------LMD

A Community of Holistic Professionals Our Vision To strengthen and support the community of holistic professionals.

Our Mission Statement To create a unified community of compassionate holistic practitioners that will contribute to enhancing our profession and ourselves by providing a supportive space to share, learn, teach, grow, and lead.

Our Purpose The Holistic Mentorship Network supports the Holistic Professional, as well as the Community by providing the space to network, build a referral base, support our colleagues, promote community awareness and education of alternative services, meet clients, and hear a great Guest Speaker.

Inside This Issue: Newsletter Contributors Susan Cloutier Sarah Collins Dawn DeGraw Jaroldeen Asplund Edwards Jan Jorritsma Mary Loughran Kathy Lynch Cethelen macEalaionta Donna Price Susan Read

Taking Care by Jan Jorritsma................................................. 4 Tending Your Garden of Life by Dawn DeGraw.................... 5 The Daffodil Principle by Jaroldeen Asplund Edwards.................6 Growing the Seeds of Your Business by Donna L. Price.............................................................8 Want a New Job? Get Additional Training by Mary Loughran...........................................................10 Ways You Can Combat BURNOUT............................... 11 A Midsummer Herbal by Cethelen macEalaionta.................. 12 Chart of Healthful Foods................................................16 How Does My Garden Grow? by Kathy Lynch.....................19 Bloominâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Thoughts by Susan Read..................................... 21

Gregg Taylor (Editor)

Community Corner (Poetry and Verse)................................24 Word Search by Susan Cloutier............................................. 25

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4 If you do the right thing with a plant, you are rewarded with beauty and food.

Taking Care by Jan Jorritsma Finding your joy, your bliss, or just what makes you smile should be at the top of anybody’s to-do list. No set formula applies. Some people go ga-ga over old cars; some people find their joy in old movies or golf. Whether your joy is in your vocation, or your avocation, it all starts with a germ of an idea. “If you can conceive it and believe it, you can achieve it.”

Children and plants----they have a lot of the same requirements. They are both fragile, and yet resilient. In the Arthur Miller play, Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman’s wife addresses her sons about their father: “attention must be paid.” But what kind of attention? In regard to plants, the questions are: when to water, what kind of fertilizer, what to do about the bugs, what kind of sunlight? Questions about children take on so many more levels. It’s as if the questions are squared to the tenth power. How much guidance and how much space is necessary for the best outcome? And after all, what is the outcome, and do we really have as much control as we’d like to think?

Choices and decisions: What is the reward of doing the right thing with people? Every moment we are in the company of others, is an opportunity to have an affect. The simple act of opening a door for a mother with a baby stroller is a nurturing act. Attention must be paid. A smile can be like a ray of sunshine, or a rope thrown to a drowning person. No wonder the ancients regarded the sun as a god. Sunlight is energy…without it, life as we know it wouldn’t exist. Simple children’s songs tell the tale: “You Are My Sunshine,” “This Little Light of Mine.”

I dug into the grassy, dry soil and planted some zinnia seeds. I can still see those little buttons of color. The next year, I grew tomatoes and cucumbers and made and canned cucumber relish (I think there are still some jars of it in my mother’s cellar). As grownup, evolved beings, we study, we read-----we’ve gotten so smart. We know so much and want to know more. Growth is good. We all want to be part of the great cause and effect of the Universe. This is the joy of our inner light. Is the quality of joy any different for a child or an adult? Nurturing our gardens, ourselves, and our friends is all powered by the same engine… “Do the right thing!” Results, tangible or not, are out there in the Universe. Don’t step on a flower and don’t step on a soul. The Spirit within is that germ... that light. Use it! --------JJ

Over thinking has reached epic proportions. Doing the right thing should be a simple process (the Golden Rule and all that.) Our child plants her seeds and simply waters the plants, and then experiences the absolute joy of seeing a flower born. When I was about eight years old, I found a patch of ground between the window wells of my parents’ house.

P.S. Taking care is really giving care but in the great balance of Life, we also receive.

Jan Jorritsma is a lifelong resident of Sussex County. She and her husband Ben, and their two sons, Ben and Kyle, have Ideal Farm & Garden Centre in Lafayette, NJ. Benjamin, within the last year, has built a biodiesel setup, recycling old cooking oil into diesel fuel for the farm tractors. Kyle is a student at Steven’s Institute in Hoboken, NJ. Jan came to Unity through her first voice teacher, Louise Quinto, in NYC over 25 years ago. She found Unity of Sussex County in 1994 when a member of her family was facing a difficult health challenge. She loves everyone at Unity of Sussex County and thinks they are the Best.

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Tending Your Garden of L ife by Dawn DeGraw Take a few minutes each day to be present. Any time you feel the choke of some weeds, center yourself with awareness to your breath. Feel your mind clear, as anticipations drift away. Allow your intention to bloom.

What would happen if farmers did not prepare and tend to their fields for the new crops each summer? The harvest wouldn't be very bountiful come harvest time! The same could be said if we don't take time to tend to our own garden of life. Imagine if we waited until we were totally overgrown with weeds, or our schedules were so filled with commitments to others that our blade is no longer sharp enough to clear the clutter of the weeds. Regular attention to our self, physically, emotionally, and spiritually, minimizes overgrowth and allows easy breathing, fluid movement, clear thinking and awareness to intention. Don't wait until the soil is bone dry to get a drink. A little bit, on a regular basis, does the trick.

Feed your soil with rich, lively nutrients and sunny thoughts. Limit your intake of colorless foods and negative hype found in the news. Reach for the sky! Plant your feet, extend the branches of your heart! Get active! Giving a hug is the best way to receive one!

Acknowledge what's growing. What is the best thing that happened to you today? What is most beautiful? Look at the positive! Every moment we have the opportunity to begin again. It is more challenging to clear the field, if it hasn't been done in a while, but with a little effort, every day the crops are sure to be bountiful.

Dawn DeGraw began studying massage after getting relief from chronic pain and headaches naturally. While in massage school, she found how the practice of yoga kept her balanced while working, studying and living. Wanting to share these two practices with her clients and communtiy, Dawn opened Garden of Life Massage & Yoga Center in November 2003. People seeking lasting relief from pain and stress find themselves in Dawn's hands. Dawn uses Tuina, an eastern massage technique and part of Traditional Chinese Medicine, blended with the western modalities of Swedish and Deep Tissue. She also performs Hot Stone Massage, Sports Massage, Pre and Postnatal Massage, Baby's First Massage Instruction, Chair Massage, Reflexology, Geriatric Massage and Couples Massage. Yoga and massage is for every body. Dawn creates a way for each individual, no matter the age, to benefit. Yoga instruction can be modified to a chair or the workplace for wellness programs. Classes taught by Dawn include Hatha, Vinyasa, Intro to Yoga, Kid's Yoga, Restorative Yoga and Pilates. In January 2001, Dawn graduated from the Institute for Therapeutic Massage in Pompton Lakes, with high honors. Her continued zest to learn more took her to Shanghai, China in the spring of 2006 to continue her studies in Tuina. Contact Dawn at Garden of Life Massage & Yoga Center to schedule your massage or yoga session. 973.827.1799 or visit www.1gardenoflife.com

"If we did all the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astonish ourselves"

--------DD

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---------Thomas Edison

The Daffodil Principle by

Jaroldeen Asplund Edwards "Carolyn," I said sternly, "please turn around." "It's all right, Mother, I promise. You will never forgive your-self if you miss this experience." Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mother, you must come to see the daffodils before they are over." I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead. "I will come next Tuesday,” I promised a little reluctantly on her third call. Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised and, unwillingly, I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house I was welcomed by the joyful sounds of happy children. I delightedly hugged and greeted my grandchildren.

After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand lettered sign with an arrow that read, Daffodil Garden. We got out of the car, each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, as we turned a corner, I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight. It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it over the mountain peak and its surrounding slopes.

The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, creamy white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, and saffron and butter yellow. Each different-colored variety was planted in large groups so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers. "Who did this?" I asked Carolyn. "Just one woman," she answered, "she lives on the property. That's her home." Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house, small and modestly sitting in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house. On the patio, we saw a poster. Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking was the headline. The first answer was a simple one. 50,000 bulbs, it read.

"Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in these clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see badly enough to drive another inch!" My daughter smiled calmly and said, "we drive in this all the time, Mother." "Well, you won't get me back on the road until it clears, and then I'm heading for home!" “But first,” I assured her, “we're going to see the daffodils. It's just a few blocks," Carolyn said. "I'll drive. I'm used to this."

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The Daffodil Principle

continued

The second answer was: One at a time, by one woman------Two hands, two feet, and one brain. The third answer was: Began in 1958.

goal thirty-five or forty years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years? Just think what I might have been able to achieve!"

For me, that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met; and who, more than forty years before, had begun, one bulb at a time, to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountaintop. Planting one bulb at a time, year after year, this unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. One day at a time, she had created something of extraordinary magnificence, beauty, and inspiration. The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration.

My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way. "Start tomorrow," she said.

That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time-----often just one baby-step at time-----and learning to love doing, learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find that we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world... "It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn, "what might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful

She was right. It's so point-less to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask,

There is no better time than right now to be happy. Happiness is a journey, not a destination. So work like you don't need money. Love like you've never been hurt, and, dance like no one's watching. Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin.

"How can I put this to use today?"

Use the Daffodil Principle: Stop waiting... Until your car or home is paid off Until you get a new car or home Until your kids leave the house Until you go back to school Until you finish school Until you clean the house Until you organize the garage Until you clean off your desk Until you lose 10 lbs. Until you gain 10 lbs. Until you get married Until you get a divorce Until you have kids Until the kids go to school Until you retire Until summer Until spring Until winter Until fall Until you die...

Jaroldeen Asplund Edwards has a bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in English literature from Brigham Young University. She has served in all the auxiliaries of her church and served a mission with her husband in Johannesburg, South Africa, directing institutes and seminaries and teaching in these programs. She is a writer and speaker, and has ten published books. She received the Distinguished Emeritus Alumni Award. She is married to Weston Eyring Edwards, and they are the parents of twelve children.

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8 There are many ways you can nurture the relationships that are just being formed.

Growing the Seeds of Your Business: Nurturing the Blossoms by Donna L. Price Compass Rose Consulting, LLC expo, and then, if there is no follow-up it was almost a total waste. I have done this myself, but not anymore. It is not worth my time or money if I am not going to follow up.

Growing a business takes time and commitment, and for most, it means new clients/ customers. New clients or customers means obtaining new contacts or new leads. There are many ways to develop new business leads. As you obtain a lead or prospect, they need to be nurtured. Leads or prospects can come from your own networking, referrals from current clients/ customers, advertising, work-shops and presentations, business expo’s, or trade shows-----to name just a few sources. One of the biggest mistakes that business owners make is to get leads and then drop them. Business cards are collected and then nothing is done with them. They go into a drawer or even worse------the garbage. Valuable time is spent networking, or doing a presentation, or standing at your booth at a business

I have also witnessed and experienced the lack of follow up over and over again with other business owners. I have attended many networking meetings and business expo’s/trade shows and given my business card to each business there. I typically only receive one or two follow up notes or calls-----tops! I remember making follow up calls to people after an event and receiving great feedback from those that I had called. One person said she was going to refer to me just because I had followed up with her, and that I was the only person that had called from the event. Certainly there is still benefit to you in building relationships and getting exposure for your business, but if you want to accelerate the response, you want to do good follow-up.

Like a seed planted, you need to water the seed, fertilize the seed. Send a personal note following your first meeting. A handwritten note with no sales pitch, just “nice to meet you” is memorable and will gain you recognition. Share an article, a tip sheet, as a second follow-up. No matter what your business, you can develop a tip sheet. This can become invaluable to you as a tool for sharing with your prospects. It helps to build the relationship and build you as an expert in your field. For people to trust your service they need to see that you know your business. Articles, special reports, and tip sheets can all help you to do this. Continue to follow up with additional articles and information sheets. Even a relevant article that you see in a magazine or newspaper is thoughtful and demonstrates your interest and knowledge of the prospect. Follow up is a relationship building step; it is not a sales call. You aren’t there yet with this new prospect. First, you need to find out more about them and offer them value through your resources, articles, and reports. Another excellent tool for staying in touch with a poten-

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Growing the Seeds of Your Business: Nurturing the Blossoms continued tial client is through a newsletter. My preference is an EZine, or email newsletter. The cost is minimal, and the work to get the newsletter out is also relatively easy. The choice, of course, is yours and could depend upon your clientele. If your clients are a group that is not on the Internet using email, then an email newsletter is certainly not going to work. Printed newsletters are more typically fee based and not free due to the high costs. A newsletter gives you a regular way of staying “in front” of your prospect. The newsletter continues to build your expertise----an essential key in building your relationship.

Keeping in touch is like watering the garden. The relationship starts to grow. But how do you get it to bloom? Or how do you convert the prospect into a client? First, you want to have many seeds in your garden, but the right kinds of seeds. Having a prospective list of people that don’t need or use your service is like planting the wrong seeds. They aren’t going to grow because they needed a different type of soil.

Having many of the right seeds means that you can have different plants blooming at different times. Just like any garden; some plants are ready to harvest in the late summer, some in the late fall. You get to the bloom by continuing to offer them good service and good information that is relevant to their needs and their business. You are able to do this because, as you have gotten to know them, you have focused on learning about their business, their needs and their challenges. This gives you the ability to provide them with resources that fulfill that need or challenge. As you build the relationship, you can then offer a special discount, a new client discount, some enticing offer to bring the prospect in your door. You know that once you are serving a client, your service is good and they will continue to be clients. The other gardening you need to do is to nurture your current client relationships. One very effective strategy is using a discount card similar to the cards that many other businesses use. Discount cards give the customer a discount or free service after they buy a certain number of times or items. I have a couple for coffee houses-----buy ten cups of coffee and receive one free----I also have one for a book store. These work for big companies like Starbucks

and Borders Books and they also work for small companies. The reason we see these programs all over the place, is that they work. A second important nurturing approach for current clients is to offer a referral program. This type of program asks clients for referrals, and rewards them when they give a referral. You can design the program however you like. One colleague that I know creates referral maps so that she knows where each of her clients came from, who referred them, who they referred, etc. One client could result in many clients; that’s why customer service is so important. The referral program concept is a thank you for clients sharing your service with friends and colleagues. One strategy is a thank you card and gift certificate for dinner. The “thank you” depends upon the amount of profit. For some businesses, a referral could result in large amounts of income----thousands of dollars. In this case, the “thank you” is bigger. For other businesses, if the profit is smaller, the “thank you” is smaller---perhaps a gift certificate for a café or coffee house. It can also be for a discount on your services-----Refer a friend and receive $10 off your next visit...or, Refer 10 friends and receive a free service. Be creative, but remember to say thank you.

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Growing the Seeds of Your Business: Nurturing the Blossoms continued These are two strategies for growing your business: nurturing your relationships----both the existing relationships and the new ones. Build your business with your excellence in service through referrals and incentives. Establish a database or tracking system, to know where your clients are coming from, and what is

working and what is not. Spend time and energy in places where it is working. Focus on it and build upon it. Try new strategies, evaluate them and keep the ones that work and that are fun. Even if you dislike marketing and business building, make it a game. --------DLP

Donna Price, M.S.; M.Ed. President of Compass Rose Consulting, LLC, provides business coaching to business owners/leaders, including holistic health practitioners, using her experience as a senior level manager for 18+ years and extensive background working with people to achieve their goals, training in business and marketing. Donna offers individual and group coaching and business development programs. Donna’s new program the Business and Marketing Mentorship is comprehensive business building program. Sign up today for a complimentary initial strategy session: dprice@compassroseconsulting.com or call 973-948-7673. http://www.compassroseconsulting.com; Sign up for Donna’s periodic e-zine “Build Your Business Success, NOW! At: www.BuildYourBusinessSuccessNow.com

Want a New Job? Get Additional Training. by Mary Loughran, RN, MSN, APP Mary Loughran, RN, MSN, APP (Associate Polarity Practitioner) AHNC (Advanced Holistic Nurse Certification), is happy in her position as holistic clinical manager of the Atlantic Mind-Body Center affiliated with Morristown Memorial Hospital in New Jersey, part of the Atlantic Health System. But that wasn't always the case. Prior to stepping into that role, Loughran held several nursing management positions over a twenty year period. The last two positions were as Assistant Director of Nursing at Burke Rehabilitation Center in White Plains, New York and Director of Nursing

at Kessler Rehabilitation Hospital in West Orange, NJ. Each move seemed to take her further away from the direct patient interaction she loved, leaving her with a case of self-diagnosed burnout. Her dissatisfaction led her back to school—another winning strategy in the battle against burnout.

Mary completed a Certified Associates Polarity Therapy Program, a Certified Guided Imagery Program and a certificate program in holistic nursing at The American Holistic Nursing Association and passed the board certification exam. Coursework included stress management, guided imagery, progressive relaxation, energetically balancing the positive and negative poles of the body, aromatherapy, and cognitive restructuring-----a form of cognitive therapy focused on identifying and replacing unproductive behaviors and beliefs with new, and more constructive thoughts and actions. Mary’s training gave her the qualifications she needed to step into the managerial role at the Atlantic Mind-Body Center, a position that

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Want a New Job? Get Additional Training enables her to care for nurses, staff and patients. The team approach is utilized at this center. Workshops and classes are given by Mary, another holistic nurse, as well as massage, Yoga, Tai Chi therapists, and the Medical Director to the community, hospital staff and patients.

All employees are given a substantial employee discount to enable them to experience and thus, learn more easily the MindBody Spirit connection.

Mary is also able to work directly on patients herself. "I have to do hands-on work to keep from burning out," Loughran says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The energy exchange rejuvenates me." Mary also assists nurses who wish to know and learn more about Holistic Nursing, so that they too may make this wonderful transition. These nurses include, but are not limited to, those from the Atlantic Health System, i.e. Morristown Memorial, Overlook, and Mountainside Hospitals. Even Loughran's voice mail message reflects her belief in holistic healthcare. "Take a nice, good deep breath," she directs callers, after reminding them to leave a message.

continued

Breathing deeply may relieve the stress of the moment, of course, but banishing burnout takes a more concerted effort. It begins with the realization that virtually any situation can be bettered----and that you can help create a work environment where patient care is top quality and nurses can thrive.

Ways You Can Combat Burnout

As originally published in the RN Magazine in 2005

Determine what your ideal job would be and take steps to incorporate as many elements as possible into your current position -----or look for a new one that's a better fit. Stay true to your values by working in an organization whose goals and mission are in line with yours. Get additional training that will better prepare you for the kind of position you would like to have. Build on your strengths by taking advantages of career ladders and professional services available through your facility, local colleges, or the Internet. Start or join a shared governance council where you can unite with other members of your healthcare team to push for a healthier work environment. Seek the support of nurse managers for help in improving your work environment. Seek the assistance of a life coach Read The Soul of the Caring Nurse: Stories and strategies for revitalizing professional passion, (ANA , 2004), available at http://nursingworld.org/books

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12 The following formula is one of the compositions well suited to keeping aloes healthy and vigorous.

A Midsummer Herbal by Cethelen A. macEalaionta

Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food.

Aloe potting mix 2 parts potting soil 1 part coarse sand 1 part pearlite Add to each quart of finished mix 1 Tablespoon Pulverized Limestone.

--------Hippocrates

In this edition, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll look at some common and often under-appreciated herbs of summer. In each newsletter, I hope to present a useful mix of information regarding medicinal herbs of each season after the style of the wonderful old herbals. So, dear reader, herein you will find a mix of lore, traditional uses, medicinal effects, growing tips, as well as recipes and culinary uses-----because herbs are far more than something you buy encapsulated in the health food store, or dried in a tin of spices at the market. Most have far more uses than people realize, and offer more to our health and happiness than merely a cheap substitute for a pharmaceutical. We should all heed the words of Hippocrates and let our food be our first medicine.

Aloe spp. Most people will know of aloe and the use of the inner leaf gel in the treatment of burns and often a wide variety of aloe plants are available in various outlets to consumers. Many however, are woefully unaware of the historical uses of aloe and even more often purchase little plants at the

supermarket, only to have them die a few weeks later. Most of the cute little aloe plants available are not Aloe vera of the type found in health food supplements although they do share similar properties. The biggest problem most people have with keeping aloes as houseplants is that they attempt to grow them in the soil the plant was in when purchased, which is most often unsuitable, as are conventional potting mixes for houseplants.

Aloe plants should be given plenty of room to spread their roots so as to not need yearly repotting (once every three years is sufficient.) They prefer a clay pot to a plastic one, as clay breathes. Always allow the soil to dry to the touch before watering. With Aloes, be careful with the transition to full sun after wintering indoors as they can sunburn if exposed to full sun too soon after a winter inside. Beyond its use as a natural first aid remedy for kitchen burns, aloe gel is an excellent remedy for sunburn and other radiation burns. Research by the Department of Defense in the 1950â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s found aloe as a treatment for radiation burns and showed that aloe had the ability to assist in the repair of genetic damage induced by radiation exposure, reducing the incidence of mutation. In addition to sunburn, herbalists often recommend it as a skin treatment for those receiving radiation treatments. All aloes share in common the mucilaginous gel within their leaves that is a soothing emollient. Aloe species differ in the concentration of aloin and aloe emodin in their latex that

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A Midsummer Herbal oozes out when a leaf or stem is damaged. The resin has been used as a powerful purgative, exceeding senna, but is apt to cause gripping and, with frequent use, laziness of the colon. However, some of the virtues of the leaf in its application to burns and radiation damage is due to the small quantities of the aloin and aloe emodin it contains.

A Soothing Sunburn Lotion Take 1 cup Aloe leaf inner gel scraped from the fresh leaves and combine it with the expressed juice of Â˝ cup each of mint leaves and calendula petals, obtained by mashing to a pulp and squeezing through fine muslin. Make as needed and discard any unused.

Calendula While uncommon in modern American gardens, and rarely thought of as a medicinal, Calendula is known simply as Marigold in Europe,* and is often used in herbal remedies and as a culinary addition.

continued

Calendula is very easy to grow from seed and, like its cousin, prefers full sun. The petals are the most active part and are easily harvested. It also readily sets seed that can be collected and saved for next yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s garden. Calendula petals can be added to summer salads for color, their slight peppery quality, and the high levels of antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds they contain, which has a similar action to cortisone. A poultice of calendula helps to relieve inflammation from sprains, minor skin irritations, and sunburns; the infused oil is used in much the same manner.

Calendula infused oil Take a good amount of dried Calendula petals (3-4 cups gently packed), and place them in an oven proof covered dish with an equal amount of good olive oil. Mix the oil and petals well and cover. Place in an oven (170-180Â°F) for 4 hours. After the mass has been allowed to cool, strain the oil from the petals into a sterile glass bottle using clean, sterile muslin cloth, a wide funnel, and gentle wringing. To make the oil last longer, the containers may be heated in boiling water and capped tightly while hot, following standard canning practice.

Tagetes Tagetes is the genus most thought of as marigold in America. The Aztec (or French) Marigold, Tagetes erecta and the Inca Marigold, Tagetes minuta, are distant relations to the Calendula, but is a native to the New World. The hybrid, dwarf varieties----with brilliant, double orange and red flowers, are relatively recent innovations, the natural species being taller and smaller flowered, but far more aromatic and medicinally active. It shares few properties with Calendula, and yet has a multitude of uses in the garden, kitchen, and herbal pharmacy all the same. In addition to a medicinal and essential oil, Tagetes contain organosulphur compounds, the predominant one being Terthienyl. These are responsible for antiviral and anti-infective properties, as well as their toxic effect on nematode worms.

* What is commonly referred to as marigold in the U.S. is called Tagetes or Aztec Marigold in Europe

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A Midsummer Herbal When grown and used as a green manure, Tagetes prevent nematode pests that can attack plant roots. The plant chemicals also inhibit the growth of certain weeds, such as Couchgrass, bindweed, and ground ivy. An infusion of the tops has a mild sedative, narcotic, and even hallucinogenic effect on humans, and has been used to expel worms. The Aztecs also used this infusion to dull the senses of sacrificial victims giving it its common name. Terthienyl and other related compounds in the plant have shown clear anti-infective, antiviral, and retroviral properties. While they may not be inwardly efficacious, they have use in topical treatments of minor injuries, and such viral problems as cold sores. Like its cousin, Calendula Aztec Marigold petals may be added to salads to give them a touch of color and a bite.

Tagetes Infused Oil Follow the same directions as for Calendula Infused Oil but substitute Marigold blossoms and tops. The resulting oil will have a rich color and aroma, and can be used on cold sores and minor irritations. Those with fair skin should be cautious, as some can be sensitive to it.

continued Tulsi (Holy Basil) Ocimum sanctum is known as Holy Basil because of its esteemed place in Hindu religion, where it is known as tulsi. It is planted around temples, and used as a sacred scent and incense. Few in the west know that it also played a role as an entheogen and ceremonial euphorient for centuries.

The chemistry of tulsi differs somewhat from other basils. Beware of those who would pass off Thai Basil (a variety of Ocimum basilicum) as Tulsi for, although their scents are vaguely similar, they are two different chemo types, and have differing properties. In some people, Holy Basil is a strong euphorogenic antidepressant----even mildly psychedelic, while others feel little or no mental effects. Because of this, it has been promoted as a natural mood elevator and anti stress herb. I have personally seen individuals become habituated to the effects and develop psychological addiction, especially when using it as a substitute for appropriate psychiatric and medical treatment for stress and depression. And, because of its metabolism, there is also a possibility that

those who regularly consume high doses of holy basil will have a positive urine test for Ecstasy! In addition to the active agents in the essential oil that affect mood, tulsi contains high levels of Oleanolic acid in the waxy coatings of the leaves. This steroid-like chemical is often found in the waxy coatings of the leaves and fruits of certain plants, but in exceptional levels in Tulsi. It is an anti-inflammatory, but has far fewer side effects and less potential for toxicity than NSAIDs and pharmaceuticals. As with most herbs (having an essential oil as one of its active ingredients), the fresh herb is often far superior to the dried when used medicinally. Tulsi is easily cultivated in most gardens as an annual however, if you have a sunny window in your home, you can cultivate it in a large pot with well-drained soil outside, and bring in to winter over. It will develop into a small tender perennial bush when properly cared for this way. Treat Tulsi with the respect due a sacred plant and religious sacrament not as merely an exotic spice and most certainly not as a natural substitute for Prozac!

Mint For many who garden, warm weather and mints are a familiar combination. The coolness of mint seems to be a

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A Midsummer Herbal natural balance to the heat of summer. There are numerous different varieties and cultivars of mints available in most garden centers.

continued menthol of peppermint, giving it a cooling, aromatic quality without the bite of peppermint. It has an antispasmodic effect useful in treating indi-gestion and colic. It is super-ior to peppermint for use with children.

Apple Mint Peppermint Unlike some herbs in the herb garden that thrive and even prefer poor, dry soils, mints tend to prefer a richer moist soil and can easily exhaust the soil if improperly tended. They especially like sufficient Potash in the soil, and so, a dressing of wood ash and rich compost after the old stems have been cut back in the fall is often beneficial. The runners by which mints spread make them difficult to extirpate once they have made their way into an area they are not desired. One common method of restricting their spread is to remove the bottom from a large pot and sink the pot into the soil, leaving an inch or so of the rim protruding and plant the mint within.

Spearmint (Mentha spicata) contains carvone and carvol as its principle components, and lacks the

(Mentha pipertia) is a wellknown carminative, yet in excess, it can upset the digestions of those with a firey constitution.

Two common varieties are distinguished by having red stems and dark green leaves (black peppermint) and the one with green stems and bright green leaves (white peppermint). The white mint contains more menthol, while the black variety has a more complex aroma. Despite its “cold” sensation, it is considered a hot herb that stimulates circulation, digestion, and perspiration. As with any of the mints containing menthol, too much consumption can over stimulate the stomach and cause heartburn and digestive upset.

(Mentha suaveolens) has a fruity, minty aroma and makes a good addition to sum-mer salads and fruit dishes.

Horse Mint (or Japanese Mint) (Mentha arvensis) has the highest concentration of menthol of any of the mints, and is little used in herbal medicine, but often used in cooking and confectionery where a strong, minty menthol quality is desired, though its aroma lacks subtlety.

Mint Biscuits An easy-to-make favorite of adults and children alike that go well with a glass of fresh milk or afternoon tea. 1 cup Butter ½ cup Confectioner’s sugar

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A Midsummer Herbal 2 ¼ C. Flour ¼ C. Mint Leaves finely chopped or ½ ml NF Grade Spearmint Oil Preheat oven to 400°F. Cream together butter, sugar and minced mint leaves. (Do not use an electric mixer.) Blend flour into mix in portions. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet. (Cookies do not spread.)

continued Bake about 8 minutes or, until set but not brown. (This recipe may also be used with lavender blossoms or rose petals)

Edwardian Era Mint Punch Pick a quart of fresh mint leaves, then wash and dry them by shaking in a clean linen kitchen towel. Put them into a large jug and mash them with a wooden spoon until soft. Then

cover with freshly boiled water and infuse for ten minutes. Strain, cool, and then set on ice until required. Add two cups of chilled grape juice and strained lemon juice to taste. Sweeten with castor (white) sugar; stir until sugar is dissolved and then add a quart of ginger ale (old fashioned dark). Fill each tumbler to one-third with cracked ice and fill up with the punch.

If a man’s diet be good, then what use is a physician? If his diet be not good …then what use is a physician? …Chinese Proverb --------CmE

A Chart of Healthful Foods apples

Protects your heart

prevents constipation

Blocks diarrhea

Improves lung capacity

Cushions joints

apricots

Combats cancer

Controls blood pressure

Saves your eyesight

Shields against Alzheimer's

Slows aging process

artichokes

Aids digestion

Lowers cholesterol

Protects your heart

Stabilizes blood sugar

Guards against liver disease

Lowers cholesterol

Helps stops strokes

Controls blood pressure

Smoothes skin

avocadoes Battles diabetes bananas

Protects your heart

Quiets a cough

Strengthens bones

Controls blood pressure

Blocks diarrhea

beans

Prevents constipation

Helps hemorrhoids

Lowers cholesterol

Combats cancer

Stabilizes blood sugar

Strengthens bones

Protects your heart

Aids weight loss

Protects your heart

Stabilizes blood sugar

Boosts memory

Prevents constipation

Saves eyesight

Combats cancer

Protects your heart

Controls blood pressure

beets

Controls blood pressure Combats cancer

blueberries Combats cancer broccoli

Strengthens bones

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A Chart of Healthful Foods cabbage

Combats cancer

Prevents constipation

Promotes weight loss

Protects your heart

Helps hemorrhoids

cantaloupe

Saves eyesight

Controls blood pressure

Lowers cholesterol

Combats cancer

Supports immune system

carrots

Saves eyesight

Protects your heart

Prevents constipation

Combats cancer

Promotes weight loss

Protects against

Combats

Strengthens bones

Banishes bruises

Guards against heart disease

cauliflower Prostate Cancer Breast Cancer cherries

Protects your heart

Combats Cancer

Ends insomnia

Slows aging process

Shields against Alzheimer's

chestnuts

Promotes weight loss

Protects your heart

Lowers cholesterol

Combats Cancer

Controls blood pressure

chili peppers

Aids digestion

Soothes sore throat

Clears sinuses

Combats Cancer

Boosts immune system

figs

Promotes weight loss

Helps stops strokes

Lowers cholesterol

Combats Cancer

Controls blood pressure

fish

Protects your heart

Boosts memory

Protects your heart

Combats Cancer

Supports immune system

flax

Aids digestion

Battles diabetes

Protects your heart

Improves mental health

Boosts immune system

garlic

Lowers cholesterol

Controls blood pressure

Combats cancer

kills bacteria

Fights fungus

grapefruit

Protects against heart attacks

Promotes Weight loss

Helps stops strokes

Combats Prostate Cancer

Lowers cholesterol

grapes

saves eyesight

Conquers kidney stones

Combats cancer

Enhances blood flow

Protects your heart

green tea

Combats cancer

Protects your heart

Helps stops strokes

Promotes Weight loss

Kills bacteria

honey

Heals wounds

Aids digestion

Guards against ulcers

Increases energy

Fights allergies

lemons

Combats cancer

Protects your heart

Controls blood pressure

Smoothes skin

Stops scurvy

limes

Combats cancer

Protects your heart

Controls blood pressure

Smoothes skin

Stops scurvy

mangoes

Combats cancer

Boosts memory

Regulates thyroid

aids digestion

Shields against Alzheimer's

mushrooms

Controls blood pressure

Lowers cholesterol

Kills bacteria

Combats cancer

Strengthens bones

oats

Lowers cholesterol

Combats cancer

Battles diabetes

prevents constipation

Smoothes skin

olive oil

Protects your heart

Promotes Weight loss

Combats cancer

Battles diabetes

Smoothes skin

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A Chart of Healthful Foods onions

Reduce risk of heart attack

Combats cancer

Kills bacteria

Lowers cholesterol

oranges

Supports immune systems

Combats cancer

Protects your heart

Strengthens respiration

peaches

prevents constipation

Combats cancer

Helps stops strokes

aids digestion

Helps hemorrhoids

peanuts

Protects against heart disease

Promotes Weight loss

Combats Prostate Cancer

Lowers cholesterol

diverticulitis

pineapple

Strengthens bones

Dissolves warts

Blocks diarrhea

prunes

Slows aging process

prevents constipation

boosts memory

Lowers cholesterol

Protects against heart disease

rice

Protects your heart

Battles diabetes

Conquers kidney stones

Combats cancer

Helps stops strokes

Protects your heart

boosts memory

Calms stress

strawberries Combats cancer

Relieves colds Aids digestion

Fights fungus

Aggravates

sweet potatoes

Saves your eyesight

Lifts mood

Combats cancer

Strengthens bones

tomatoes

Protects prostate

Combats cancer

Lowers cholesterol

Protects your heart

walnuts

Lowers cholesterol

Combats cancer

boosts memory

Lifts mood

water

Promotes Weight loss

Combats cancer

watermelon

Protects prostate

Promotes Weight loss

Lowers cholesterol

Helps stops strokes

Controls blood pressure

wheat germ

Combats Colon Cancer

prevents constipation

Lowers cholesterol

Helps stops strokes

improves digestion

wheat bran

Combats Colon Cancer

prevents constipation

Lowers cholesterol

Helps stops strokes

improves digestion

yogurt

Guards against ulcers

Strengthens bones

Lowers cholesterol

Supports immune systems

Aids digestion

Protects against heart disease

Conquers kidney stones Smoothes skin

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How Does My Garden Grow?

Linda asked me some time ago if I would write an article for the summer edition of her newsletter, MARCI. I willingly accepted, and have since gone over and over in my head how I would describe my personal experiences with the various holistic modalities I have benefited from over the past seven years. Since this is the summer edition, I kept thinking how I could relate my experiences to a garden and new growth. I have decided that “I” am the garden, and my practitioners are those that are cultivating me, using a variety of tools and Miracle Grow to help me continue to grow and flourish with each passing season of my life. The next debate I had was where to begin my story. My thoughts continuously went back about seven years ago, to a time in my life where I felt as though my world was falling apart. I was under constant stress---my marriage was failing, we were facing financial problems, and my dad was very ill with esophageal cancer.

by Kathy Lynch

I kept hearing a voice deep inside me saying, “this is killing me!” I knew I had to listen and do something about it. I was not going to just sit back and let that happen to me. I knew I had to make some drastic changes in my life. I was terrified, but determined to reach out and find help. I would not sit back and let this choke the life out of me. I see-----too often-----the impact stress has on a person’s health, as I have been an oncology nurse for thirty years. I was given the name of Dr. Ken Silvestri, a psychotherapist, and certified, classified homeopath. On my first visit, I felt an immediate connection with him and knew we would work well together. He helped me through those difficult times. Initially, I just went to talk and try to find the answers to what I needed to do. I knew I could not stay in the marriage, and I needed him to help me find the strength to proceed through the divorce, support my children, and to deal with the many fears and anxieties I had, and the ailments they were causing. Over the years, he has used a unique, integrative and systemic approach to resolving both my emotional and physical problems. With his compassion, guidance and “fertilizing” homeopathic remedies, I have not only survived...I have flourished.

I have a good relationship with my ex-husband; my children are happy and secure, and I overcame one of my biggest fears in life---public speaking. I am on numerous pharmaceutical speakers’ bureaus and speak on a variety of topics regarding the oncology field. During these past seven years, I began to realize there are many useful modalities to help heal and grow, and I knew I needed all the help I could get! About six years ago, I was referred to Dr. Anne Cotter for a physical ailment. The minute I met her, I knew I was supposed to be there. I can not begin to tell you all she has done for me and other members of my family, both from a physical and spiritual aspect. Through her expertise with acupuncture, she has helped open up stagnated chi or energy meridians within me. She always knew where she needed to place her needles, based on her assessment of me. I can remember so clearly going to her after my father had passed away. As I lay on the table, she placed a needle that made me jolt. I commented on the fact that the area was tender, and she said, “I’m not surprised, Sweetie...that is your heart meridian.” With that, the tears flowed and I felt such a tremendous release of emotion.

I am absolutely convinced that I am a happier, healthier, more spiritual and more stable person because of her.

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How Does My Garden Grow?

continued

As I have said, I can use all the help I can get and, after realizing the benefits these holistic modalities provide, I relish the opportunity to explore and utilize the tools each has to offer. That is why, when my mom died unexpectedly on St. Patrickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day two years ago, I ran to Dr. Cotter. The pain and grief I felt was indescribable. I knew I needed a way to cope and eventually heal from this devastating loss. Dr. Cotter recommended I meet with Linda Mitchell. She praised her for her work with cranial sacral massage and somatic energy release and knew we would work well together. She could not have made a better recommendation. I met Linda the Saturday after my mom died. We bonded instantly, and have developed not only a professional relationship, but a personal one as well. She has helped me unearth old wounds, buried emotions, fears and pain... to honor and release them. I have continued to see Linda on a routine basis. I look forward to my visits and the self-discoveries I experience. I am always in awe of what can be accomplished during our one-hour visit. Some weeks, she will just work on my overstressed muscles and help relieve the built up tension.

Other times, she is able to help guide me to a place within me that seems to be calling out for attention. I am learning as we go, to be able to recognize these feelings and voices on my own and deal with them in a much healthier manner. About a year ago, a co-worker recommended I see Dr. Robert Kandarjian, an intuitive energy healer. I followed her recommendation and could not be happier with that decision. Balancing the human energy field by handson healing is known as Intuitive Energy Healing. It is a non-invasive approach that blends science with intuition.

Healing energy is sent to depleted and weak areas of the body to restore strength and balance. Dr. Kandarjian also helps his patients develop sensitivity for hearing what their body is saying to them. When we take the time to listen, we are more likely to hear what our true desires and needs are. By striving to attain these goals, we will be more apt to make good decisions that ultimately make us not only happier, but healthier. I continue to work on improving my skills. I have gotten better at listening to my intuition, and respecting it. I truly believe it helps me stay grounded. I continue to nurture my mind, body and soul. I have also begun to bring this philosophy into my work with my cancer patients. I cannot begin to express the gratitude I feel for these professionals, who have come into my life, and used their tools and expertise to help me grow and bloom into the person I am. --------KL

Kathy Lynch, RN, OCN, is Director of Nursing at Hematology Oncology Associates, in Morristown, NJ. She has been with the practice for 25 years. After earning a BS in Nursing from Adelphi University, in Garden City, NY, she received her oncology certification in nursing. Ms. Lynch, a member of the Oncology Nursing Society, has been a lecturer on subjects including bone health, metastatic breast cancer and anemia. She has served as Clinical Advisor for the New Jersey Society of Oncology Managers, Clinical Advisor for Nutritional Therapeutics, Inc, Technical Advisory Panel Member for Priority Healthcare, and Clinical Advisory Panel Member for Pharmaceutical Buyers, Inc. She is presently on the board of Cancer Hope Network.

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Bloomin’ Thoughts

around the age S omewhere of twelve, I moved with my mother and sister to a new neighborhood. Everything around me seemed to be changing. Not only my family and lifestyle, but my body was beginning to rumble inside like a volcano, erupting with new body parts, hormones, and strange and unfamiliar thoughts and ideas. As a child who already felt a bit different than everyone else, and having been born under the sign of slow and steady Capricorn, I must say I did not care much for those changes. As an adult, my throat still makes an almost audible hissing sound when folks say “a little change will do you good!” Sometimes we don’t want to be told what we already know, even if it is “for our own good”. Back then, in my new neighborhood, I became a bit of a loner, and spent much of my time in either one of two places that I knew to be the greatest places on the planet.

by Susan Read One was deep in the lush forest that bordered the end of my street. It was actually state-owned reservoir property, trespassing forbidden, but it was also a place filled with mystery and magic, a place where I had to dodge lowhanging branches as my invisible unicorn carried me swiftly along the footpaths to waterholes...where I could watch pollywogs turn into frogs...where pine needles blanketed the earth, muffling sound to silence...and where acorns became mighty oaks. This was a place where I felt at home even if I was lost. It was simply irresistible and I thought that it was worth breaking the law to be there over and over again (juvenile delinquent that I was.)

school, I would climb to this special limb and perch for hours doing nothing but daydreaming and thinking.

The other absolute bestest location on Earth was a much simpler place…high amid the branches of a burly old crabapple tree that grew in the small grassy lot that passed for my backyard. I had a favorite branch I was sure the Tree Spirit rendered just for me and many days after

Whiling away the hours among those benevolent, forgiving, (and thankfully, sturdy) branches, I began to pay more attention to my neighbors, an elderly couple who lived in a small cottage behind us. They seemed utterly ancient to me-----prehistoric even-----easily irritated, and crotchety, as well!

Thoughts had become interesting to me. Some of mine were frivolous (and hormonally deranged, no doubt) and some were so deep, I wouldn’t begin to understand them for decades. At the time, I had also come upon a book about a man named Edgar Cayce, who said, “Thoughts are Things!” Later in life, I would get to know Cayce much more intimately, but at that age, I had no idea what he was talking about. I never expected the idea that thoughts were things...was to stay with me forever.

So, like a big-bellied orange tomcat trying to conceal himself in the middle of a freshly mown lawn, I would try to arrange myself in the tree so my neighbors wouldn’t see me. I didn’t like being around them much, and I was sure the feeling was mutual, but I couldn’t resist spying on them, because they had one thing that I was very attracted to…their garden!

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Bloomin’ Thoughts In fact, to me, their whole yard was a Paradise. Even in the dead of winter, something was always blooming, and in the spring-----enough color to inspire Monet!

Watching intently, as the old man and his wife worked their magic together on their own little bit of Earth, cultivating it with such tender loving care, I found myself aching to do the same, especially when the results of their labor manifested. In the summer, my mouth would water as I’d watch them sit outside in their gar-den, husking luscious, sweet Jersey corn, and gently pulling on vines where bright red Beefsteak tomatoes the size of softballs dangled in the sun! So there I’d sit, watching and salivating, and alone with my thoughts. Or at least I thought I was alone. I didn’t suspect then that anyone was listening. I didn’t know that I had been planting and plowing and tilling in the infinitely fertile soil that is the Universe. But apparently, a seed was growing. The Universe knew it, and responded to my

continued innocent, but passionate desire, as did my neighbors. The very next spring, this same crotchety, prehistoric couple gave me my own bit of Earth with which to work my own magic, to apply my own thoughts-----to watch bloom! Had a garden fairy read my mind and put a plan in motion? Had the old couple grown weary of my constant surveillance, and decided I needed something better to do with my time? I had no idea and I didn’t care! It was just a small ten-foot area off their own garden-----but I didn’t care about that, either. It was mine! I was truly delighted, and couldn’t wait to sink my hands into the deep, dark soil that seemed to hold so many secrets. Having no gardening tools of my own, I started with a kitchen spoon and fork. Again, I didn’t care. I was twelve, and was going to plant the seeds of my choice with my own hands...with my own thoughts...in my very own garden! Well, that was thirty-five years ago and, to this day, one of my favorite things to do is to sit quietly on my garden swing and watch as seeds burst from the soil, reach for the sun, and grow into their destiny. Sometimes the little boy and girl who live next door see me and think their own thoughts about wandering over. Now, it is I who is prehistoric and sometimes crotchety as well, but I let the young’uns plant seeds in the garden.

They don’t plant in straight lines, and they can’t tell the difference between a tomato seedling or a daisy sprouting up from the ground. But I don’t care. And I think the Universe likes that. I fancy I’ve learned a few things since I first got my hands dirty; not only about gardening, but about what Edgar Cayce meant when he said thoughts were things. Our lives here are like gardens. And every thought we’ve ever had is part of us. Thoughts are like seeds... seeds we plant in the Universe with our minds. And the Universe responds! Even science seems to be proving this. There have been studies performed to determine how many thoughts the average person has in a day. The results vary, with totals ranging from 10,000 to as many as 90,000! But the general consensus is, that most of those thoughts are not only duplicates of the very thoughts we had the day before, but a large percentage of them are negative as well. Quantum Physics has shown over and over that the observer, (i.e. the thought of the observer), has great affect on what is being observed. If we are observers of our own lives, the question seems to be: what do we want to see blooming in this garden we call life? In any case, it also seems logical that we have the capacity to (here comes that ‘C’ word again) change

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Bloomin’ Thoughts what grows there, and that we can do so with our thoughts.

continued cement of this world, just as the tiny violet appears in the middle of the driveway.

A Course In Miracles teaches that you can’t change the world, but you can change the way you think about the world...The Universe can hear me breathing. My lifelong need to search for what is already in my own backyard has lead me to feel that I am never truly alone in my thoughts. (If I were a bit more paranoid, that last feeling might make me uncomfortable. Fortunately, the Universe is also infinitely patient with folks like me...heh-heh.) If thoughts are energy, then perhaps the more positive the thought, the higher the vibration. In Messages From The Water, Dr. Masuro Emoto describes experiments that prove the loving thoughts of one person focusing on a single drop of water produced brilliantly beautiful crystalline patterns.

With that in mind, we ponder the possibilities when several people join and focus with positive thoughts. No doubt, the results would astound us! Our higher thoughts are likely strong enough to break through the concrete and

Years ago, our store, Peaceful Paths, began with a single thought. That thought bloomed and lead to many more. I sometimes wonder about the seeds that were planted with each of those thoughts. And, although my partners and I often forget and focus on the many challenges we face as we attempt to keep this part of the garden we’ve planted alive, healthy and nurtured, we continue to embrace the blossom of each of these seeds as it comes to fruition.

I like that. I think the Universe does, too.

It’s sunny today. It seems like a fine day to go sit on my swing, sink my teeth into a sweet ear of Jersey corn, while watching the garden grow. I think I will focus my thoughts on gratitude! The last line of a movie based on the book, The Secret Garden, says “The whole world is a garden.” And so it is. --------SR

Susan Read, a life-long seeker, is coowner of Peaceful Paths, an interesting little store dedicated to Oneness and finding the peace within all paths.

Recently, I read an article in a trade magazine. The author, James Wanless, summed up what are for me exactly some of the same seeds I already see blooming at Peaceful Paths. He said, “Your store is a holistic hub…that can evolve retailing into healing, selling into educating, and store into community.”

Peaceful Paths is located at 7 High St. Butler, NJ 07405 and can be reached at 973-283-9444 or by email: dove@peacefulpaths.com You can also visit them on their website: www.peacefulpaths.com.

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MARCI’s

Community Corner False Values by Sarah M. Collins

Community. Somewhere, there are people to whom we can speak with passion without having the words catch in our throats. Somewhere a circle of hands will open to receive us whenever we come into our own power. Community means strength that joins our strength to do the work that needs to be done. Arms to hold us when we falter. A circle of healing. A circle of friends. Someplace where we can be free.

Cherishing the illusions of material values teaching the innocent ones to focus on the self STARHAWK, Dreaming the Dark the creative, inspired inner life ignored will only serve to further the At the center of the Universe is a loving heart that continues distance from your true goal to beat and that wants the best for every person. Anything Traveling down the weather-beaten we can do to help foster the intellect and spirit and emotional road to misery growth of our fellow human beings; that is our job. Those of and heartache us who have this particular vision must continue against all forgetting all you have built up odds. Life is for service. in the past ------Frank Rogers The only way to transform ~Mr. Frank Rogers Light in the Soul the dishonesty, the greed, the Our deepest fear is not that we fighting When there’s light in the soul are inadequate. Our deepest the hunger, the loneliness There is beauty in the person fear is that we are powerful the pain, the separateness When there’s beauty in the beyond measure. It is our light, is to go within person not our darkness that frightens accepting the forgotten part of your There is harmony within the us most. We ask ourselves, nature, home Who am I to be brilliant, the eternal values of spirit When there’s harmony within gorgeous, talented, and Then the seeds of kindness, the home famous? Actually, who are gentleness, love and hope There’s order in the nation you not to be? You are a child will be planted for future cultivation When there’s order in the of God. Your playing small The garden that is Earth will nation does not serve the world. There flourish, There is peace in the world. is nothing enlightened about beauty will appear, and shrinking, so that people won't -----Taoist Prayer for Peace the paradise that once was will feel insecure around you. We resurface were born to make manifest the Honesty, generosity and teamwork glory of God that is within us. will return It's not just in some of us; it's in sharing, connectedness and joy all of us. And when we let our unity and trust, the order of the day own light shine, we unconOne person at a time, the world will sciously give other people change and permission to do the same. As your soul will weep no more we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automa© 2005 Sarah M. Collins tically liberates others. Sarah M. Collins is a prolific writer, holistic healer and astrologer. She lives in the woods of rural New Jersey where she studies the night sky and garners inspiration for her metaphysical and poetic writings. Visit her websites: www.StarSojourn.com and www.WellnessCareToday.com

------Marianne

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Williamson

MARCI

Summer 2007

WORD SEARCH

“I AM...” L

Beautiful Worthy Precious Divine

Whole Loved Amazing Creative

Joyful Truth Blessed Me

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Prosperous Peaceful Healthy Vibrant

Board Members George Dominguez Linda Mitchell-Dominguez Cethelen macEalaionta Donna Price CONTACT US at:

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info@mentorshipnetwork.com

Or Visit Us on the Web! www.mentorshipnetwork.com

The Holistic Mentorship Network Board of Trustees has defined a holistic practitioner as... Any practitioner who offers a therapeutic approach intended to treat health issues or conditions through a process that views the physical, emotional, energetic, and spiritual aspects of existence as coequal in addressing health and illness…Any practitioner who seeks to address health conditions in terms of the "whole person" rather than as disorders affecting or confined to only specific functional parts, systems, components, or organs could be considered a candidate to become a member in our Holistic Mentorship Network.

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