Nourish - August 2013 issue 25

Photo by Phil Nielsen

Issue 25 August 2013

www.nourishpublication.com

2

4 Lughnasadh 5 Welcome 6 And So... the Adventure Begins 8 Energy 101 - the Journey Continues - Hopes & Fears 10 You Are Fearlessly and Wonderfully Made 12 Transcending Dysfunction 14 Channel from Mother Mary 16 Butterfly Speaks About The Sacred Belly Fat Project 18 A Journey Through the Elder Futark - Sig/Sowilo 20 Monthly Astro Tid-Bit - August 24 Health Benefits of Cherries 26 Closing the Door on the Dark 28 Let Go of That Which Does Not Serve You 29 Happy 2nd Anniversary Nourish - Enter to Win 30 Summer Molt 31 Living Life 31 Crossroads 32 Story Telling - Actions of Love 34 Free Range Edibles - St. John's Wort 36 Connections with Mother - Kindness and Patience 38 Power Animal - Moose 40 Crystals - Personality 42 Essential Oil - Forgiveness 44 Rune of the Month - Ehwaz 46 Angel Message for August

www.nourishpublication.com

3

(pronounced loo-nə-sə)

Lughnasadh (Loo-nah-sah) or Lammas (it's Christianized name) heralds the first harvest, not yet summers end (Samhain) but ever closer to autumn. It celebrates the first of the crops being harvested and is often related to bread, corn and berries.

It's the dog days of summer, the gardens are full of goodies, the fields are full of grain, and the harvest is approaching. Take a moment to relax in the heat, and reflect on the upcoming abundance of the fall months. At Lughnasadh, it's time to begin reaping what we have sown throughout the past few months, and recognize that the bright summer days will soon come to an end.

August 1st marks the beginning of the harvest season, if you live in a northern hemisphere climate. Personally because of where I live I have been enjoying fresh vegetables and fruit for a couple months now. I am sure that long ago, when there was not the convenience of supermarkets close at hand, this day was more important than it is today. I would like each of us to think about the food on our plate and those who labour to grow, harvest or butcher what we enjoy each day. From them we are provided nourishment with our favorite foods. If you grow your own nourishment, share if you are able, some of the fruits of your labour.

Also check out the Meryl Streep movie “Dancing at Lughnasa”.

Celebrate this day in joy!

Marlene

www.nourishpublication.com

4

August marks our Second Anniversary!!

2 years ago a seed of inspiration came to me and from this seed I have been privileged to watch the seed grow into a beautiful tree. Within the tree’s branches many authors have come to rest, some have set up permanent nests and others have stayed for a while then moved onto other trees, some prefer the freedom to come and go.

Yet all contribute to the nurturing of this beautiful magazine and provide wisdom to all who seek. If any of the articles touch your soul, please drop the writers a line!

Summer is in full swing, the weather has been marvelous, and the days are long, giving the illusion that we can relax more or get more done. Often we rush along and don’t take time to really enjoy the bounty that summer affords us. Stop and enjoy the feel of summer against your skin, smell the distinct fragrances that only summer brings, listen to the amazing sounds, taste the wonders of fresh fruits and vegetables along with the cool delight of an ice cream, see the beautiful rich colors that paint the landscape and know that not too far off in the distance is winter waiting to make these wonderful memories a distant past.

Enjoy the articles offered this month and don’t forget to check out our 2nd anniversary draw! We are celebrating by paying it forward to our readers!

Namaste Marlene www.nourishpublication.com All content ©2011 - 2013

by Nourish Publication Nourish is a monthly publication dedicated to empowering readers with knowledge that can help them feel fulfilled on this journey called life.

All articles are the express views and beliefs of the writer and are provided as guidelines to the readers. Ultimately each reader is responsible for their own choices and decisions. The articles are meant as guidelines and the reader is encouraged to expand on the knowledge presented within these pages to form their own opinions.

www.nourishpublication.com

OUR CONTRIBUTORS LINDA ADSETTS GWEN RANDALL-YOUNG VERA ENSHAW GAIL SILER PhD BRIAN THOMPSON MICHELLE HAYES HOPE SUGGIT

MARILYN DYKE TAMIRA PHIL NIELSEN JAY ATKINSON SITA-RANI MACMILLAN M.Ed MARGIE KIVEL MARLENE COBB

5

https://soundcloud.com/thornybleeder www.nourishpublication.com

https://www.facebook.com/the.brian.thompson 6

adventure awaits amidst all the moments of all the days you need not wait for the weekend or your yearly retreat to the beaches of the South where all you do is dwell suppressing the memories of your oppressing office defeat novelty and wonder is ours to be had! no helmet required no tour guide needed no life vest considered no training necessary tear your world wide open asunder! be inspired by the dense complexities within immediate grasp. if we can just manage to set aside and skew our cultural perceptions, our current predicaments, and the revolving, rotating mess of self-imposed and restrictive fearful and hypnotized, desensitized and conformed thoughts within our head we can squint and sense the reality of the uniqueness of the universe in which we've blossomed and glimpse its kaleidoscope of technicolor shock and awe that will leave your jaw hanging agape i'm setting the sails to wonder. won't you join me? cast aside the normal. toss overboard your complacent beliefs of old. mop the decks of numbing societal distraction. misfits needed, apply within. who's in? congrats, you're hired! http://www.thornybleeder.com/ www.nourishpublication.com

bt 07.19.2013 7

Energy 101

Hopes & Fears Vera Enshaw

Have you ever had a tarot reading, where the reader used the Celtic Cross Spread? Most tarot decks that one can buy have the instructions for the particular layout. In this spread, card 9 is about our hopes and fears. What I hope for is also what I fear. And that is a very interesting thing to ponder when we are looking at fear.

Last month I asked you to spend some time writing down your fears. This month let’s look at those fears with an eye to seeing how they are also our hopes. How do they serve us, these hopes and fears? What is the payoff?

None, you exclaim in indignation! Really? Then you are going to enjoy this exercise….

First, let us look at a hope. We’ll take one that many people have several times a week - winning the lottery. No fears there, you say. No? What in your life would change if you were to win a large sum of money? No debt, certainly. At least not at the beginning. The freedom to do www.nourishpublication.com

whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted. Ahhhh but what about your family? Your friends? Would you share with them? How much? Would you take them with you on your trips? What if you decided to move to a warmer climate….would you take them along? The possibility of loss is huge with a large win. Do you like your job? Would you - could you - continue working? What would a large sum of money do to your work relationships? How would you manage the employer/employee relationship? Would winning a large sum of money make it easier for you to speak your truth? Write down your hopes and the corresponding fears.

Now, let us look at a fear - the fear of losing our job.

How is it possible that we could also hope to lose our job? To be laid off or fired releases us from the responsibility of making a conscious choice to quit. We can change our career path, move to a different community, even take a long rest courtesy of the government unem8

ployment program. If one has a difficult time ending work relationships, being laid off or fired is one of the only ways to change the situation.

We often have fears about relationships ending. How is it possible to also hope for that? Well, what is it about the relationship that isn’t working? Freedom from the relationship will also give us the freedom to find another, possibly more exciting one. It could also mean personal space and the freedom to do what you want when you want.

Not all of our fears are as easy to see through. Looking into the mirror of the self requires diligence and honesty. It is very important for each one of us to be aware of the flip side of our fears— and our hopes. In our personal quest to be peace, the more we know about our selves, the more we understand our nature, the more honest we are—the more likely we are to love our selves, to be compassionate with the others in our life and on the planet.

I ask you to do this exercise often during the coming weeks. Make it your meditation practice. I think you will be very pleased with the results.

Until next month…...Namastè

“What

I hope for is also what I fear.”

Contact Vera at lightvera1@gmail.com for more information.

www.nourishpublication.com

9

Linda Adsetts

Each morning, that my husband is home and not on the road, he gets up, far earlier than I and he heads to the beach with our furry friend Jack. They have a lovely walk followed by a coffee sitting on a bench. Last week, a young lady handed him a handwritten note.

It said; “You are fearfully and wonderfully made” from Psalm 139:14 in the bible.

Marcel showed me the note and I thought, how lovely. Today I came across the note and out of curiosity decided to Google the psalm. I wondered what context this was written in.

I read the piece and was nodding until the 139:14 onwards when it spoke of hating those who hated the Lord and counting them as enemies. Mmmmm….that didn’t sound very loving to me.

As I reflected upon the one 139:14-I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made-I thought to myself- fearfully? Why not fearlessly or joyously?

Why would Source, the Lord, God agree to fearful.

Humans are fearful. Source is nothing but love for everything and everyone. Source adores us in all our humanity and all our imperfections. Fearlessly made makes way more sense.

www.nourishpublication.com

You made a decision to land on planet earth fearlessly with utter joy for the expansion of your being. There was no fear involved. Fear is manmade and has nothing, absolutely nothing to do with the decision.

However, fear is given to your by others who have forgotten the reason for the journey. Forgive them; they know not what they do. They think that they are being responsible, being caring, being loving and they have forgotten that if they allowed the children the remembrance of their being that there would be no need for fear mongering.

When children are allowed to be and encouraged to feel their environment and not discouraged from their natural inclinations to know exactly what is up, then they will walk their path with the surety that they were born with.

Dear ones, you did not land on planet earth, thinking that you had to be in fear. The coming was joyous and beyond anything that you could have hoped for.

You knew the totality of your being and you saw the infinite possibilities that were available to you and to your planet. That is why you wanted in on the playground.

10

Connect with Linda on www.goforthejoy.com or Facebook page www.facebook.com/# !/GoForTheJoy

I will go forth and be in joy was your mantra. I will go forth and strive to remember who I am and who every being is‌magnificent beings of light and love.

Fear had nothing to do with it. Trust us on this. Source is not fearful; Source is joy and you dear ones are from Source.

Yes, there will be overcomings of fear and yes there will be times that you are in fear but that is not who you be. That has been given to you and handed down through the generations. Now is the time that for all to return to the remembrance of joy and fearlessness.

The energies are supporting that return, that remembrance. All you have to do is surrender into the love and pay no attention to the fear mongering.

Are there things that you want to steer clear of-yes there are. But you were given a built in guidance system to steer you clear of those things. You can be like the animals that know that things are changing, that it is time to leave the area. You can be like the animals and know when danger lurks around the corner.

When your spidey senses tingle there is a message for

www.nourishpublication.com

you. If you but stopped and asked yourself why they were, your life would be far less stressful.

When people in your life surprise you with bad behavior, angry behavior, abusive behavior, you were not paying attention. There is truth in the statement fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.

However, if you pay attention to your marvelous intuitive ability you will not even be fooled once. You know this and many of you have instances in your life when this was the case. You ignored your intuition, the very guidance system you came in with to help navigate you through your life.

So, dear ones, wonderful ones, being of light, love and spidey senses, you are not left alone to do your life.

There is much changing on your planet and as the unfolding occurs you will remember what you already know. Life is meant to be joyous in the end. When you find the joys in your days, no matter what is unfolding around you, you can give yourself a pat on the back.

After all you were fearlessly and joyously made to fearlessly and joyously live!

Go For The Joy Linda and The Group

11

“Healing may not be so much about getting better, as about letting go of everything that isn't you - all of the expectations, all of the beliefs - and becoming who you are.”

Rachel Naomi Remen www.nourishpublication.com

Sometimes it is hard to understand why we, or someone we know, stay in a dysfunctional relationship. Often we see patterns repeating, as when one gets out of one abusive relationship and into another. There is also the pattern where a parent was an alcoholic, and the child grows up and marries an alcoholic, ultimately divorces, and then gets involved with another alcoholic.

On the surface this seems not so smart, and the pattern seems so obvious that it should be easy to avoid. However, it has nothing to do with intelligence. Even the brightest, most aware and competent individuals fall into the trap. Why is this?

When we remain in situations that are not good for us and make no sense, we can be sure that unconscious patterns, drives or beliefs are “corrupting” our “operating system.” One who was verbally abused as a child may, deep

12

struggle and suffering continue and become “the story of my life.”

We do, however, have the power to change the story. This does not start with trying to change the other person. It must begin with establishing a positive and more respectful relationship with oneself. It req uires us to develop the ability to be the wise, loving, nurturing supportive parent to our own inner child. It is not the wise adult who keeps us stuck, it is the vulnerable inner child. The inner child did not know what it was like to be loved, respected, validated and supported. The inner child also had no power to change the situation. Even when we are adult, the inner child still operates in the old way, just putting up with or persevering because no matter how bad it is, it is better than being alone or abandoned.

The adult dysfunctional relationship is an opportunity for the inner child to struggle and partner with the wise adult The and stand up for her/himself. suffering continue Together they can say “been there, done that,” and I don’t and become “the want to do it anymore. I story of my life.”

WON’T do it anymore. With the wise adult on board, the inner child can do what he/she could not do as a child: take oneself out of the situation.

down, feel unworthy or undeserving of being treated with respect. The adult child of an alcoholic parent who was unpredictable or emotionally volatile may put up with similar behaviours in a partner because this is what he or she was used to. The man who had a domineering and controlling mother or the woman who had a father who was uncommunicative and distant may be re-living this dynamic with a partner because they think this is just how men/ women are.

Those who had a dysfunctional childhood may tend to stay in dysfunctional adult relationships much longer than is healthy continuing to hope, as they did in childhood, that one day things will be better. Yet, it does not get better, and so daily adult life is a struggle, just as life was for the child. They often see divorce as a failure, and hold on out of a need to prove they can do better than their parents. The

www.nourishpublication.com

If you recognize that this is your pattern and you want to change it, your first loyalty has to be to your own health and wellbeing. Experiencing relationship stress most of the time, or having poor self-esteem and reduced selfconfidence and not doing anything about it is not honouring yourself.

The true coming-of-age in these situations is when you may not know what else is out there, or what the future will hold, and you may even be scared, but you gather up all of your strength and courage and take yourself away from the person or situation that is not good for you. In this way you begin to break the pattern that has kept you stuck, and give yourself the opportunity to have the life you deserve.

Gwen Randall-Young is an author and award-winning Psychotherapist. For permission to reprint this article, or to obtain books or cds, visit www.gwen.ca

13

Channel Hello Dear Souls It is a lovely day. It is a lovely day for the growing feeling of love in your hearts. A lovely day for gentleness birthed from the compassion of a grateful heart. This love, gentleness, compassion and gratefulness paves the way for the growing way in which you are moving as the human race. Where you value these things more than the material and superficial illusions that are slowly fading in the importance they once held.

Dear souls please feel the love that is coming forth from the Divine and the Womb of Creation.

This love is readily available to you at all times and under all conditions no matter what!!! Delve deep into the infinite well within your hearts and souls and drink deep of its pure, clean and sparkling waters!!! Breath it in, drink it in feel it seep deep within every cell of your body heart and soul!!! Know from the very depth of your being you are loved and you are love!!!

Know that the gentleness within you plants seed that will sprout forth fruits through All of Creation, the universe and you. That these fruits are shared with the world, it`s people and Mother Earth herself. Mother Earth bares great compassion for you her children. She loves you so much she birthed forth in her vulnerable love for you that which sustains you. She bares forgiveness that only a mother can give her children. She continues to birth forth that which sustains you. Feel the truth of this love from Mother Earth, the Divine and All of Creation. YOU ARE ENOUGH!!!

Yes I know that that line is being used a lot right now but it is because it is an eternal truth.

You are enough!!! You are enough!!! You are enough just as you are!!! No word can be put to the deep feeling and love in those words. So sit for few minutes’ breath them in and know deep within you it is the truth beyond words and measure!!!

Dear souls I am Mother Mary and I bear gentle infinite love for you. Till next time be nestled in the knowing and love that my message spring forth within and around you.

With infinite gentle love and compassion Mother Mary

www.nourishpublication.com

Contact Michelle bloghttp://whitestareagle.wordpress.com or email me at empathlove2003@yahoo.ca.

I look forward to hearing from you!

14

www.nourishpublication.com

15

Gail Siler, PhD

As I sit here with my cup of tea, I am watching people outside the window walk by on this sunny Sunday. What I see on almost every woman, from teen to elden (it’s a real word and I like it because it feels gentler and more respectful than old) and all the in-between stages walk by is a shield of belly fat fastened round their middles. In Renaissance Europe they would be deemed beautiful and healthy.

For the past few months I have been seeing the same thing in my mirror in the mornings and feel the tightness of my waist bands. What in heaven’s name is happening to us? It seems to me there’s something very odd about so many people suddenly sporting round bellies. www.nourishpublication.com

Butterfly Woman Speaks My dear beautiful readers, it is I, Butterfly Woman1, come to share with you an insight or two into what appears to be an epidemic of belly fat-itis.

Would you believe it if I told you that it is part of a sacred project? I hear you asking what on earth could be spiritual in the topic of belly fat.

Butterfly Woman by Caela Mcafee http://sobored89.deviantart.com

16

Belly fat has proven to be an even more popular topic than what the young movie stars are up to. People everywhere are talking about how girls and women and even some men are suddenly sporting belly fat. There are a host of belly fat fix-it books for sale on Amazon, TV programs from Oprah to Dr. Oz are giving us diets and exercises. Standing in line at the supermarket we see magazines offering super shakes and fruits and secret formulas for how to fix it. Then there’s Spanks and yoga pants to wear to hide it; not to mention the herbs, pills and dietary supplements guaranteed to remove the roundness.

There are many explanations to apply to the sudden increase in women and girls carrying belly fat. But I have one explanation I would like to share with you. It’s a most sacred one indeed.

We are helping to change the balance of Earth and we are doing it by taking in higher frequencies of energy and sending them down into the earth through our bodies. We are serving as lightning rods, so to speak, to bring the Sacred Feminine energies back.

power, we are assisting (and assisting others) by bring in more balance for all living beings.

With the extra belly fat we can take in even more energies and act as stronger magnetic fields bringing in and grounding more and more energies into Earth.

As these frequencies become more balanced, and more people join with us in our task, our belly fat will be able to lighten up. For now, we are all carrying Sacred Feminine Energies. We are blessed and we are blessing Mother Earth and all her creatures as we serve.

So let us love our bellies and love our selves even more for playing our part in this amazing task to help rebalance the energies on Mother Earth. As the balance begins to shift more to neutral we won’t need so much ballast and we will be free to shed the shield.

Carriers of the feminine energy in whatever package you are, know you are loved and appreciated. Your work is changing the balance of energy here on Earth.

We thank you and we honour you. Blessed be.

As of 2013 the mass consciousness of earth passed into the newer and higher energies and frequencies. We have also passed into the time when male energy dominance (left brain focus) is requiring to be counter -balanced by female frequencies and energies. These are the right brain energies we refer to as feminine energies.

Enter the sacred belly fat project.

Belly Ballast in our Young People

As women and girls (and yes even men with balanced feminine energies) we have been enlisted by the Empress of the Universe (also known as the Goddess or Feminine Face of Source) to play our part in this most sacred project.

Our project is to bring in and anchor stronger feminine energies onto Mother Earth at this time. In order to buttress these strong energies and to support us in this blessed task, we have added belly ballast. This ballast allows us to channel in and anchor these energies at a time when strong imbalance currently exists. On our path of returning to wholeness and recovering our lost www.nourishpublication.com

1Who is Butterfly Woman? For those who have not read Gail’s book, I was once Isis, a guide for humans. I became entwined within human DNA, and like the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale, I became only dreams inside the human heart. Now the energies have increased to the point where I am being reborn within individuals whose energies have reached a certain frequency and who choose to merge with me. Some would call me the Primordial Feminine of Earth, but I choose to be called Butterfly. To learn more about how you too can awaken, go to www.Decodingthebutterflypromise.com This magical image of Butterfly Woman, whose arms move before your eyes, was created by artist, Caela Mcafee. To see more of her art go to http:// sobored89.deviantart.com/ Connect with Gail

www.Decodingthebutterflypromise.com https://www.facebook.com/gail.siler.9?fref=ts http://www.whitewaterwellness.weebly.com

17

Phil Nielsen

“Then tell us and no matter the gods ask, we will do it.”

“Thor pays us no attention, but an offering to his beloved wife may change his mind.”

SIF/SOWILO The next rune in our journey is the goddess Sif, The Golden-Haired, better known now in the Elder Futhark as Sowilo.

According to legend, the Gibichungs had dwelt peacefully along the western banks of the Oder River for untold generations. Although they preferred farming to war, they were q uite capable of defending their lands and had done so many times. But this time it was a host of Mongolian horsemen amassing for an invasion and they outnumbered the defenders ten to one. The odds of winning seemed bleak at best.

The Gibichung military commanders decided to consult the tribal voelva, a respected seeress with a reputation for accuracy. As she spread out a rune cast for divine guidance in their difficult crisis, she held up a stone with the sign of a single lightning bolt. “What does it mean?” they asked. “Will Thor help us?”

“No,” she said, disappointing them. “This generation of Gibichungs is too selfish and greedy. Thor does not believe we deserve to survive.”.

“Then is there nothing we can do to save ourselves?”

“What might that offering be?”

“You must burn your harvests and pray when you do so, that the ripe wheat is an offering to Sif, the goldenhaired. Maybe then she will intercede for you with her husband.”

The commanders were stunned, “Even if we defeated the enemy, we would soon die of starvation if we destroyed our crops.”

“Do it.” The voelva snapped impatiently, “or face the inevitable!”

They consulted in earnest among themselves and agreed that their people had become somewhat degenerate. But burn all their food? That seemed suicidal. They gathered all of the tribe together and told them of the rune cast. All were in agreement that they should follow the voelva’s demands and burn every bit of harvest, for what is wealth without life. “We will trust the gods that have been good to us for so long.”

After sunset that very night, in a special ceremony conducted by the voelva, every stack of wheat was gathered together on the fields and set ablaze. The flames roared to the stars and turned night into day but the Gibichungs were not saddened, moreover they shouted out battle cries and blew their lurs—war horns, as the sacrifice to Sif blazed like a comet come to earth.

Now, all this was being secretly watched by a Mongol scout on the other side of the river. He reported all to the khan, who then decided to attack the Gibichungs at once. They would take them unawares as they seemed to be in the midst of some kind of agricultural festival. They decided to attack at dawn.

“Well, perhaps.”

www.nourishpublication.com

18

Meanwhile, the Gibichungs planned to pull down the two bridges that spanned the Oder, thereby forcing the enemy to cross in boats that could then be picked off by archers. However, the Mongols had many more army than the Gibichungs had arrows. At best, destroying the bridges would buy time for a vigorous defense that would cost the enemy dearly and it was better to fight and die than to run away and die of starvation.

But they did not expect the invasion for days and they were horrified when they saw the enormous horde of Mongols on the far bank begin to cross the two undestroyed bridges. Alarms sounded and defenders poured out of their homes, many in the process of pulling on armor, just as the first wave of Mongols stormed onto the west bank. Desperation, superior skill, and finer weapons made the Gibichungs better fighters, and the mounds of dead invaders rose on the blood soaked battlefield. Still, the kahn, who had kept well back of the fighting, had superior numbers. He sent his next wave of reserves and they cascaded over the bridges to the west bank.

Unobserved by either side, storm clouds were gathering overhead and occasional thunder could be heard. The two armies were too busy fighting to notice and the two bridges were now bulging with the Mongol reinforcements that pushed towards the Gibichungs. It now appeared to be only a matter of time before they were overrun by the Mongols. It was at that moment that a blinding flash of forked lightning exploded from the darkening sky. Twin pronged bolts struck the bridges simultaneously electrocuting the iron armored soldiers trying to cross. Thousands were killed instantly.

The khan was momentarily stunned but then ordered another wave of troops to resume the attack, but they refused to move. They fell on the ground before the bridges of death and begged for mercy from the heavens. Seizing the moment, the Gibichungs rallied and counterattacked the enemy which was stranded on the west bank of the Oder. The Mongols, who were now totally over whelmed by the divine intervention, could only fight halfheartedly and gradually began to lay down their weapons. The few survivors were allowed to make their way back over the bridges and over the charred remains of their comrades. The khan then waved them back into the ranks of his now silent army and ordered an about face. The Mongolian hordes then returned in despair to the wild regions of their homeland beyond the Ural Mountains.

The exhausted Gibichungs could not believe their good fortune. Sif’s rune, chosen by the voelva, had come to life in a potent form and had turned the tide of the battle when all seemed lost. Nor would the victory bring the starvation they had feared because they had captured the enemy’s supply wagons and

www.nourishpublication.com

there was enough food to feed an army and would see the Gibichungs through the winter.

Sif’s lightning bolt embodies decisive action. Like her, its appearance means that success will come if undertaken with a brave heart and good intentions. It signifies victory from any angle, as it has no negative aspects. But it does not automatically guarantee success. We must be willing to act and struggle for what we want. If we struggle to the best of our abilities, we are promised victory but it may not come in the shape we anticipate. However we achieve it, the spoils of victory belong to us.

As Guido von List points out, the profound antiq uity of the Sif rune echoes in the greeting “Sal und Sig!” (Sal [ vation] and Victory!) which was used by IndoEuropeans five thousand years ago, when they stormed out of their primeval homelands in what are now the steppes of central Russia. Sal also implied health and the all-conq uering sun, revered in Roman times as Sol Invictus. McVan associates this rune with “the sun and the power it radiates. It represents the primal fire that reacts against ice. It is the power of the human will, of victory and success.” Svensson writes that it “symbolizes the life force itself.” Appropriately, it is associated with the sun stone, an early form of navigational compass that refracted solar rays in such a way as to roughly define north.

Sif, or Sowilo, as it is known in the Elder Futhark, powers its own positive aspects or reduces, and in some cases, negates, its negative features. Pennick associates it with Valaheim, corresponding to Aq uarius and eq uivalent to the Old Norse month of Lios-Beri, appropriately enough Light Bringer. Sif’s hair is described in the sagas as having been spun of the finest gold, another solar reference associated with the golden wheat harvest.

Her rune personifies strength, vitality, self-confidence, and personal power. The victory it achieves is so total that it brings deep satisfaction and a sense of inner peace. Her rune teaches us that we must pursue a heroic passage through life, discarding the pointless acq uisition of mere material wealth. Sif epitomizes the authentic life spent joyfully fighting for our deepest convictions, “following our bliss.” Such a life, regardless of whether the final goal is attained, is victorious in and of itself.

Contact Phil at nourishpublication@gmail.com for more information.

19

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

4 No Temper Tantrums

5 Nose to Grindstone

6 New Moon Unexpected Surprise

11 Double Whammy – Hunker down

12 Nose to Grindstone Get’er done 19 Nose to Grindstone

13 Keep your inside voice “inside” Think first 20 Full Moon Watch that inside voice

26 Nice Day EnJoy

27 Mars moves to Leo …

Catch the Fire

18 No Temper Tantrums

25 Very big energetic day – take care double Whammy

www.nourishpublication.com

Wednesday

Thursday

1 Love Yourself 7 8 No imMercury pulse to Leo Purchas- Fiery es Words Lucky Day 14 15 Neutral – Good Go with day … the Flow apologize for Tues. ;-) 21 22 Another Sun Neutral moves to Day …

Virgo ExFlow cellent day 28 29 Watch No imthat inpulse purside chases voice again

Friday

Saturday

2 No impulse Purchases 9 Very Lucky Day – What kind of Magnet are you 16 Venus moves to Libra Careful with the Love life 23 Double Whammy – stay focused

3 Work hard Play hard 10 Tell it like it is

30 Overall nice day … Good day for a walking meditation

31 Has ups and downs …

Breathe

17 Don’t make commitments you can’t keep 24 Great day to sing along

20

Challenges Mars 11, 25, 4, 18 … Use Caution! Be careful of temper tantrums and accidents! RED LIGHT

been observed for at least 2000 years, as the stream has a very stable, highly inclined orbit which protects it from strong planetary perturbations

Watch Saturn conjunctions, squares and oppositions –5, 12, 19, 25… You can feel that life is hard work. STEP UP and MEET THE CHALLENGE!

These famous meteors appear to radiate from the constellation of Perseus. Based on an ancient Greek mythology, Perseus, a demi god, similar to Hercules was given death defying challenges in order to save humanity. This included the challenge of taking Medusa’s head. Check out the movie “Clash of the Titans”.

Venus squares and oppositions - 1, 16, 23, 27, 31 … Heartache/domestic and security challenges. LOVE and EMBRACE LIFE anyway!

Mercury squares and oppositions- 13, 20, 28 …

Think before you speak, CHOOSE YOUR WORDS WISELY! Double whammy days – extra challenging days – 4, 11, 23, 25 ... so watch out CAUTION – 2, 14, 21 & 29 – no long term commitments or impulse purchases on these days.

Favorite Meditation Times – 3, 6, 10, 8, 9, 21, 24, 30 Mercury moves to Leo on the 8th – Passionate words Venus moves to Libra on the 16th – Balance & symmetry, relationships, give and take.

Mars gets all Fired up when he moves to Leo on the 27th – Work hard … Play hard by tapping into Action and Passion.

Sun moves into Virgo on the 22nd Happy Solar Return (Birthday) to all you Virgo’s out there.

Allow the Sun to infuse you with health and vitality to take you through the next 12 months.

August 12th is the peak of the Perseids Meteor Shower.

Earthsky.org tells us that the Perseid meteor shower is perhaps the most beloved meteor shower of the year for the Northern Hemisphere. You can see the peak of the showers - August 11th, 12th and 13th, when the Perseids will produce the most meteors especially the hours before dawn.

The Moon will be conjunct Saturn on the 12th providing an interesting dimension to the night sky. The Perseids have

New and Full Moons – it is important to step outdoors and connect to the night sky, when we do this we inherently connect and recognize genetic/clan and collective habits and patterns of those that came before us and of which we carry the cyclic environmental signatures.

The New Moon on August 6th at 14 Leo 35’ It is important to keep your core centered and calm during this moon – don’t let anything shake you off track. Focus on moving in a positive direction toward your evolutionary goals. This journey might just take you a little bit closer to your truth.

The Full Moon on August 20th at 28 Aquarius 11’ This Full Moon shows further development of your intimate relationships. Are you relating in an unconscious mechanical way (zombie like), struggling to authentically connect? Or perhaps you no longer recognize yourself after you give your all and dive in head first. This is your opportunity to awaken to experiencing love in a healthy way; this means contemplating what that actually might look like to you…

Email: Tamira@silverdisc.ca for more information on how a Phone or Skype Consultation can help you with any transitions you are experiencing in your life.

www.nourishpublication.com

21

In the following monthly individual horoscope you will find a combination of solar and lunar energy for each sign. Combine your Sun, Moon and Ascendant into one fabulous guide for the month.

Ride the wave to set new goals and re-evaluate completion of old goals as you move forward in the month.

Writing down your goals is an important step, but being passionately connected to each goal is vital to achieving them.

Aries ( March 21-April 20) New goal setting opportunities are on the 24th … Enormous Potential … count your blessings … Set a goal to uncover one of your many innate gifts Home renovations might be on the horizon this month – build a deck or some other home project that you have been putting on the back burner - put some passion into it and enJoy the process of building something new. Creativity is in focus this month. Note to self: don’t go to parties or try to be social just because you can ;-) this can get you into trouble – be picky about who you decide to hang out with.

Taurus Horoscope ( April 21-May 21) New goal setting opportunities are on the 26th … Do not underestimate your own abilities or put yourself into a sq uare box that someone else gave you. Make a goal to break out of your restraints.

If you are following a career path that someone else is expecting you to exceed at or… you are not passionate about the path you are taking, and you now find yourself just going through the motions; then give yourself a shake. It is time to let others know how you feel about the direction you are going. Focus on your roots, what it means to call a place “home”, use this back drop to really understand your identity and how you fit into your highest ideals.

Gemini Horoscope ( May 23-June 20) New goal setting opportunities are late on the 27th and early on the 28th … Your goals are your own this month, you are only limited by your own imagination ;-) Financial increase is on the horizon – could come to you through communication or writing. Are you mechanically believing in a philosophical dogma? You may find yourself engaged in a scenario of q uestioning your beliefs by creating new lines of communication toward a greater view.

www.nourishpublication.com

Cancer Horoscope ( June 21-July 20) New goal setting opportunities 3rd and the 30th. You may feel like someone is giving you a good shake … a wake-up call … this is not the time to escape … a little dose of reality might be exactly what you need to get you in motion.

Go ahead get mad – have a good long temper tantrum … let that anger turn into passion and get refocused and back on track … there is much selfrealization work to get done. Income is on the forefront – don’t let your long term investments just float along – give them attention.

Leo Horoscope ( July 21-Aug. 22) New goal setting opportunities are best done on the in the morning on the 6th.

Are you ready to wake others up? If you had dreams of revolutionizing something … what would they be?

Get ready to shine – don’t forget to set your yearly goals. Even though you are used to getting all the attention – you may find yourself looking for q uiet moments of contemplation, this will provide clarity into your action plan for next year. You are always shining a bright and beautiful light but don’t forget about your partner/mate. It is also important to pay attention to your relationships – don’t be on auto-pilot.

Virgo Horoscope ( Aug. 23-Sept. 22) New goal setting opportunities are on the 8th – don’t miss this fabulous opportunity. It is time to learn something new, or take something you are currently doing to a new level.

You may feel like you are just going through the motions at work this month, that’s ok just move into remote control and get the job done. Let your confidence and beauty shine in a more social setting than at work – get out and BE social this month – accept all invitations for fun and frivolity.

Libra Horoscope ( Sept. 23-Oct. 22) New goal setting opportunities are on the 10th – Before you begin your new goal setting it is important to look at what you need to let go of in your life in order to bring balance and happiness There may be a little hit in your career this month – in a good way of course! You may feel like being a little extra social this month, so go ahead and let your hair down and don’t worry about the details. I see windblown hair and streaky make-up from all the belly laughs. Get yourself out there and engage in the fun of it all.

22

Scorpio Horoscope ( Oct. 23-Nov. 21) New goal setting opportunities are on the 14th in the morning (before 2:30pm) You will benefit from trumpeting your successes – acknowledge what you have already achieved before setting any new goals this month.

Your physical body may be telling you that changes need to be made – try a home based exercise program that you develop just for you and your body. Be sure to add in stretches or a short yoga routine. Your status (aspirations of greatness) looks superb this month. But don’t neglect or let your home life suffer from auto-pilot!

Sagittarius Horoscope ( Nov. 22-Dec. 20) New goal setting opportunities are on the 15th. Your goals you’re your own this month, you are only limited by your own imagination ;-) Try to be aware of how you are communicating this month … are you just saying things because that is what others expect to hear? Engage in real heart felt conversations. If travel is on the horizon – it favors well.

If you are not travelling this month try taking a course or class on something you have never done before.

Here is a Tid-bit from Heidi Johansen-berg at Oxford: Learning mainly takes place at synapses, the junctions between neurons where information is relayed. A synapse’s performance changes when we learn something new, obeying the principle that “cells that fire together, wire together.” … we see an increase a synapse’s strength when we learn new skills, in which repeatedly stimulating two neurons at the same time fortifies the link between them.

Capricorn Horoscope ( Dec. 21-Jan. 20) New goal setting opportunities are on the 17th – You may feel a little less optimistic than usual. If you have been hit with the feeling that aspect of your safe and secure life has been or is demolished – then make sure you focus on goals to heal and fix the soundness of the structure rather than just trying to band aide the damage.

The good news is … Great relationships and close friendships are in the spot light – the kind that come from an energetic connection. The right time … the right place … it might feel like a match made in heaven or thereabouts. Take care that you are not putting your day to day finances on hold – be aware of what is happening around you – do you have your best interests in mind?

www.nourishpublication.com

Aq uarius Horoscope ( Jan. 21-Feb. 18) New goal setting opportunities are on the 19th – take care to not limit your dreams, are you actually walking your talk – it is important not to just look the part but BE the part. Set goals to help you achieve this every day.

If you find yourself hanging out at the refrigerator door – and not know why – connect to your emotions – that is where you will find the answer.

Focus on relationships – remember your closest relationships provide an incredible mirror into your own psyche and behaviors. Use this to your advantage, by making the change within first – it will flow right out to your environment and magically you will be living in a new playground.

Pisces Horoscope ( Feb. 18-March 20) New goal setting opportunities are on the 21st or the 22nd It’s time to wake up – you may find yourself bogged down in the politics of the world.

Meditation is the key to receiving revelations and getting that much needed message. Set a solid plan for your regular meditation practice – the rest will come.

You may find yourself embarking on a relationship that turns into a much deeper connection. If you are already in a relationship then expect a whirl wind date night … Love – Romance – maybe even some hot sex!

Woohoo!

Don’t allow your solid plan for regular meditation (see above goal setting) turn into a robotic experience – be sure to stay “awake” and connect to that which is greater than you :-0

For more information Tamira@silverdisc.ca 23

Cherries are a nutritional powerhouse fruit with so many incredible health benefits. One cup of raw cherries has 87 calories 22 grams of carbohydrates 1 gram of protein and 3 grams of fiber Enjoy them now while they are at their peak because their season is way too short.

rich source of Vitamin C, potassium and boron which is important for bone health.

Rich in Vitamins C & E Rich in Potassium Magnesium Iron Folate

www.nourishpublication.com

Promotes heart health helps to lower cholesterol

24

rich source of antioxidants high in beta carotene

boosts libido in men & women

anti-inflammatory properties

slows aging process

relieves & prevents arthritis & gout helps to relieve migraines

rich in melatonin improves sleep improves memory

Reduces risk of diabetes may reduce chance of colon cancer

Anthocyanins that make cherries red may also help relieve pain more effectively than aspirin. Anthocyanins are potent antioxidants that can prevent oxidative damage and also inhibited enzymes called cyclooxygenase-1 and -2 ( Cox 1 and 2) , which is similar in the way anti- inflammatory drugs seek to reduce pain.

extremely effective diuretic

www.nourishpublication.com

25

Marlene Cobb Let us first start off by affirming that the dark is not a bad thing! The dark, or our shadow self, teaches us many valuable lessons. The reason we need to close the door on the dark is so that it no longer has a hold on us.

No longer will it be able to keep us from living our lives to their fullest potential. By closing the door on the dark, we are letting our light shine brighter and we are one step closer to peace.

The dark I speak of is all those disappointments, slights, differences, worries and fears that we hang onto like a dog with a bone. The time has come to release them and let them go, or change them. I am sure you are all thinking “what am I supposed to let go of�. That part is up to you. It really boils down to anything that causes you to feel anger, guilt, shame, sadness or fear.

It could be your beliefs or goals have changed.

As each of us evolves (ages), our beliefs and ideals www.nourishpublication.com

change. It happens so slowly that we don’t notice. This is true for every person on the planet. At any given moment what used to float our boat, probably is not floating it anymore. Usually we continue by rote through our daily lives on a set pattern, even after we evolve and shift. If nothing else, we are creatures of habit.

The time has come to take inventory, release, and let go of what no longer serves you. Be it old hurts, grievances, fears, beliefs or ideals. It has been said that we hold onto and maintain them because they give us a sense of identity. Just like we replace most everything when it is outdated or worn, it is time for an identity upgrade. And the new models are out!

Each of us had been given a gift this year. We have been given the gift of light and with this gift comes the most amazing opportunity to release and let go of all past issues, from this life time and previous life times, in grace and ease. There does not have to be chaos. The 26

slate was washed clean, making it fresh to start again. I realize this will be a hard concept to accept, but releasing now can be as easy as acknowledging what you are holding onto and then dropping it. It is not about analyzing it yet again, for that just creates a tighter grip on whatever no longer fits you, serves you, worries or bothers you.

Every experience in your life has been there for a reason. Be it for personal growth, the other person’s growth, or growth of humanity, there was a reason. No matter what transpired (yesterday, last week, last month, last year, 10 years ago) you must realize, that if you are still pulling it out to look at it, it is part of your past and still has a hold on you.

I want you to pull out one of your darker thoughts that you let run around in your mind. What emotion do you feel when you pull it out? Be honest here, no point in white washing it, I want you to own it.

Now I want you to go below your initial emotion and find out what the root emotion is. I realize this might not feel great. Or perhaps you have pulled this thought out so often it feels like an old worn shoe, comfortable, a familiar friend.

The emotions you feel are your indicators, much like a red or green light, as to where you are. If you feel angst, pain, or fear, you are being given a red light that something is not aligning with your internal self, your true self, your higher self. Even if you have spent years exfoliating layer upon layer of emotional, mental and physical baggage, if it causes strong emotional response from you, you have not let it go. If no negative emotions spring forth you are being given the green light, perhaps you are able to laugh now about something that raised strong emotions when it happened.

Now the question is, do you let it go or do you change it? The answer will depend on the experience.

Can you change it? Are you willing to do what it takes to change it? Or would changing it require someone else to change? If it is beyond your control to change it, then it is best to let go. Speaking of control, are you holding onto this slight, difference or whatever because you like the power it gives you? Perhaps you like when others apologize repeatedly for past transgressions. Or are you attached to the outcome being the way you want it to look? If you can give up this control or attachment, even for a second, can you come to a place of neutrality?

Shifting into neutral means you are no longer responding and reacting in a preconditioned or patterned manner. When you shift into neutral you are in the present moment, not in the past worrying about what has happened, not in the future dreaming up what could hapwww.nourishpublication.com

pen. It does not mean that you are disengaged from life and feel nothing. Quite the contrary! It allows you the freedom to attend to what is happening in life right now.

Getting to neutrality is not always easy when things are bothering you. Yet, if you grind away at what is bothering, worrying, or troubling you, it will not go away. It is in the moment of letting go that resolution comes.

What happens is acceptance. No longer are you recreating the experience expecting or wishing for a different outcome. In other words, you are not pushing something to happen. It does not mean you are detached, far from it, it means you have taken a step back and have decided not to allow it to control you anymore.

Letting go simply means that you are going to allow things to be the way they are. You are not going to annihilate them, in fact they have happened already and you cannot turn back the clock and undo them. You need to be at peace with the situation, no matter how long you have carried it, no matter if you were in the wrong or in the right and not acknowledged. Remember what you knew for certain yesterday, what you believed does not define you. What matters is that you let go of what holds you back, step into your power of what you know now, and move forward.

By letting go you will have peace, peace of mind.

It means you are choosing to align with your true self. It might seem like I have made light of this topic, or that it is rather simple, but in fact I take this subject very seriously. It really does not have to be difficult; all things in life are a matter of choice. You can bemoan the choices you or others have made in the past and allow them to hold you stuck in the past, or accept life for what it is, and move on.

By closing the door on the dark, you are integrating it with your light. You are moving away from duality (dark-light, right-wrong, good-bad, me-them) and into unity. Unity is where peace resides. And who wouldn’t like a little more peace in their life?

Pick a one issue, belief or goal you have been carrying around. Does it still fit if it is a belief or goal? If it is an issue, does it still instill strong emotions within you? If the ideal does not fit anymore, toss it, and upgrade to what does. If the issue is causing strong emotions, try shifting into neutral, and let it go!

Connect with Marlene at www.merrlina.com

27

why hang on to that which no longer serves its purpose? if a t-shirt is weathered and torn it's discarded, never again to be worn if baggage is banged up and broken it's tossed aside never again trusted with valuables inside so why not do the same with all the harmful habits which we've come to blame for all the suffering we presume is synonymous with our name?

https://www.facebook.com/the.brian.thompson https://soundcloud.com/thornybleeder http://www.thornybleeder.com/

if you repeat a hurtful, self-loathing story continually inside your head which you define yourself by and now self-identify it no longer serves its goal it interrupts forward progress ceasing your happiness to be realize it's now time to sever the line to let go from the thin thread from which you hang by allowing yourself to fall you'll realize that all along you were needlessly dangling when solid floor wasn't far below so with your feet now on firm footed ground solid you can stand confident and tall ready to take on the world and give it your all if something you think or a thing you continually do prevents you from going where you want to be it no longer serves the greater purpose of you so go rid yourself of it now just like the luggage of old discard it for forever or your current state of insufferable being will continue to be dude, honestly... just let it go. bt 07.26.2013

www.nourishbublication.com

28

Thank you for your support as we continue to grow.

All you need to do for a chance to win is Like our Facebook page, and share it with your friends - if one of them like’s Nourish’s page and shares you will get your name put in the draw again. If you already like Nourish on Facebook all you need to do is share. If you do not have a Facebook account go to the website and leave a comment or subscribe and your in!!

BODY

MIND

SOUL www.nourishpublication.com

29

Poems by Margie Kivel Summer Molt Each piece dropped from the energy vortex that is me moves into a larger whirlwind beyond my own personal tail spin.

Sometimes I feel the pull of tearing threads and paper, but it is not until later under the stars that I sense the lightness of my being.

Definitions req uire new revisions due to lack of letters within my bowl of manipulations, now all single grain and sugar free.

In the leanness, necessities drop into the non essential refuse bin.

You say my name, but I just can’t remember its history.

With morning light I rise from my now unfamiliar bed to descend into a foreign kitchen of forgotten nuance and delicacies.

While hoping for something familiar, I dodge the cracks, avoid ladders and assume a posture of belonging to wherever it is that I am now.

Margie Kivel www.nourishpublication.com

30

Living Life It is always a delicate balance between burnout and in the jive, charred toes and feeling alive.

It’s the fire that fans the passion, not the other way around, it’s the flame that strengthens, tempers, and makes sound with just enough heat to do the alchemy, but not so much it warps, distorts the symmetry.

The sacred fire walkers always mind-cool their bare feet, before stepping on the coals, they balance the heat.

Rather a burn or two than not to have engaged – the risk is worth those steps that stay above the rage, bring all of life together for that moment of bliss – going right to the edge living life in service.

Margie Kivel

Crossroads Sometimes it is difficult to get out of the way of my own life, to set aside the knapsack of experience that I have carried since the fall, volumes of recriminations that I have revisited over and over, a path worn down to bare rock without the soil of understanding.

I need the hanged man’s crucifixion in order to gain a different view, to wake me from pain’s reveries and renew my spiritual marrow.

How easy to slither along the grease of reciprocal exchanges rather than carve a new covenant of barter on the wing.

I hereby resolve to resolve, feel foot go into shoe and acknowledge the grace of movement that we share.

It is a new dance, a new space within which we twirl and glide and feel the cadence of love’s eternal undertones.

Margie Kivel www.nourishpublication.com

31

Journaling

Sita-Rani MacMillan, M.Ed.

Make the world great.

Storytelling is one way to do so. Journal writing is an avenue of storytelling, but there are so many other things one can do. Paint, dance, mime, sculpt...our stories are told in many ways every day. It is important to sit with our stories and listen to them.

What are they trying to say?

I used to facilitate journal writing workshops in Vancouver for women in a holistic healing program. One particular day stands out for me in this moment, we were speaking about storytelling and I asked the group: “Why do we purchase magazines and get involved so intently to strangers in the media and ignore our own uniq ueness?� The answers were heartwarming.

www.nourishpublication.com

We continued to talk about the importance of exploring and sharing our own stories. That we can be excited to start our own magazines about ourselves and the legacy we choose to leave behind. We spoke in-depth about self image and our stories. How important it is to share those with the world.

When I do a timed writing exercise I rarely have an idea already started in my head. I know I want to write and I trust the process. Having a pen and paper ready (or other devices) mean I am ready to take action and explore. I pay attention to what needs to come out. “Sitting here smiling Laughing to self Understanding how brave I have been.

32

Being sooo fun Beiing sooo odd.

I know.

I love who I am.

I love who I have become.

I thank so many people for it.

Even the first boy to say “I love you”...”

You can begin right away and start the timer for 5minutes or wait until you are ready to revisit and write it at the start of the next page (section).

Why that story? Why now? Why not…

Whatever comes from the writing exercises is perfect.

What stories are waiting to come out on page with you? What images pour forth at the thought of writing?

Writing Action: Sit in a comfortable space and have a timer ready. Make sure you will not be disturbed until the timer has rung.

Set the timer for 10minutes and be prepared to write for the whole time without taking a break.

When we stop to scratch out a word or think about the grammar we can lose the essence.

What story is ready to be told?

Write and let it flow…

When the alarm sounds set the pencil down and do not finish what you were writing.

Sit for a few moments in silence and let the words settle in.

Was there a story coming up? Or a freq uent word?

If you see a word that kept popping up and you have a reaction to it. Let it be the start of the next writing exercise.

www.nourishpublication.com

Write that word and see what comes from it.

Anything? Maybe nothing...?

Sometimes the next action is to share your story with someone you love and trust OR not. I have found that some distant memories I thought I had forgotten about come back to me. I love sharing the stories with those who turn up in them and if it is not the right time to share verbally I will paint them.

I look forward to our next writing action.

Namaste.

Discipline is the act of paying attention and following attention with appropriate action – Christina Baldwin, 2007. www.sitamacmillan.com or sitarani@sitamacmillan.com www.facebook.com/sitaranimacmillan

33

St. JohnJs Wort plant in my garden Photo by: Marilyn Dyke

Free Range Edibles

“ It is primarily known as a medicinal plant because of its healing properties both internally and externally. ”

Marilyn Dyke Hypericum perforatum or St. John’s Wort is another very valuable European immigrant perennial plant that most would call a weed. It is said to be found all over North America, but I associate it mostly with the coastal areas. I bump into it often, yet if I’m looking for it, it’s no where to be found so I decided early in my herbal medicine making journey to include it in my garden.

St. John’s Wort is a very happy plant that blooms continuously from June until early September. It grows about three feet tall with branching stems. The bees adore it and for that alone it’s a very helpful addition to your garden, but it needs to be watched as it can spread via root and seed. We have learned to pull out the young starters we find in the garden not allowing them to get big enough to flower. I find I have no problem keeping it in one place but I live beside a dairy farm and it is said if cattle eat too much St. John’s Wort they will develop a sensitivity to sun so I’m very vigilant with it.

There is an ornamental version of this plant that seems to spread faster than the herb variety, but it has larger flowers. www.nourishpublication.com

I have no idea whether it has any of the medicinal properties or not and I wouldn’t advise using it for food or medicine.

While St. John’s Wort is edible I suppose, I haven’t heard of anyone actually eating the plant in salad or pot herb.

It is primarily known as a medicinal plant because of its healing properties both internally and externally. The plant produces a lovely red pigment called hypericin which is the active medicinal ingredient used in tinctures and oils. All summer long my fingers are tinged with this red dye from picking the flowers.

First and foremost St. John’s Wort is known for its ability to ease mild depression and can also be helpful to relax and calm. Some find relief for mild depression immediately and others must use it for a week or so to see results. It would not be helpful for deep, clinical depression. Hypericin also acts much like aspirin and can be used internally and externally.

34

St. JohnJs Wort Flower

I have included St. John’s Wort oil made with fresh flowers with Arnica oil in my Pain and Bruise salve for years. It gives the salve a one-two punch, first the St. John’s Wort eases the pain (on contact in my experience) and then the Arnica works to ease the blood congestion that results in a bruise.

This pain relieving property can be found in the fresh oil used externally and in the fresh tincture or ground herb used internally and externally. Remember though if you are taking it internally for long periods of time that it will thin the blood like aspirin does and if you find yourself in need of surgery you must be sure to tell your doctor.

Photo by: Marilyn Dyke

St. John’s Wort Oil Put fresh picked St. John’s Wort flowers only in a small jar with lid.

Crush/grind them in the jar and then pour olive oil over to cover completely.

Put the jar inside a paper bag to keep it out of the light leave it in on the counter remembering to shake the jar at least a couple of times a day for two weeks.

Strain the oil through a cotton cloth and put into a clean jar and label.

St. John’s Wort Oil Put fresh picked St. John’s Wort flowers only in a small jar with lid.

Crush/grind them in the jar and then pour olive oil over to cover completely.

Put the jar inside a paper bag to keep it out of the light leave it in on the counter remembering to shake the jar at least a couple of times a day for two weeks.

Strain the oil through a cotton cloth and put into a clean jar and label.

Once the oil has settled overnight decant off the bright red oil, throwing out the water dregs in the bottom. Store the oil in a jar sealed in the fridge. While this oil can be used externally and internally if you find any mold forming inside the jar please discard immediately.

Once the oil has settled overnight decant off the bright red oil, throwing out the water dregs in the bottom. Store the oil in a jar sealed in the fridge.

While this oil can be used externally and internally if you find any mold forming inside the jar please discard immediately.

My mother used St. John’s Wort regularly for depression and was also taking an aspirin a day because she read somewhere it helped to eliminate the threat of a stroke. I warned her that she needed to tell her doctor so it would be on file, but she forgot to mention it and when she had to have emergency surgery that was the first thing I asked her about after the fact. She had no complications, but I wouldn’t push it. You can imagine our mother daughter conversation ….”What do you mean you didn’t tell them?” ….”Oh, I thought it was just an herb”…Yikes! Never downplay the value and effects of herbs, most are every bit as effective as medicines and must not be forgotten when your doctor is prescribing medications or in emergency situations like my mother.

Although St. John’s Wort is most active when just the fresh flowers are used in oils and tinctures, it can still be helpful when dried and used in a very pleasant tasting tea for mild depression or to relax before bed.

You can pick whole stems if you like and hang them upside down in the house where they won’t receive any direct sunlight but will have lots of air flow around them. Once the stems themselves are dried you can slide off the dried leaves and flowers into a jar with a tight lid. Store in a dark, cool place and use about 1 tsp. of dried herb with 1 cup of boiled water, steep for about 5 minutes and then drink.

I hope you’re enjoying this lovely weather we’ve had on the coast, there are so many edibles available right now in the wild and in our gardens. Many of us now have the added pleasure of living near a local farmers market. If you do, please take advantage of it. Not only will you find the freshest, tastiest local food but most often it is grown organically as well. Organic certificaVisit Marilyn at www.BodySoulApothecary.com tion is quite expensive and many farmers can’t afford to get it but if you ask they will gladly spend hours telling you about their growing methods! www.nourishpublication.com

35

Hello again lovely readers! I can’t believe that August is upon us already. The days run away like wild horses, don't they?

nitely kind and patient with her children! I think my cats must definitely be Ascended Masters for they challenge me on a daily basis to be kind and patient. Gotta love ‘em!

Once again I sit here in my writing den in Heartlight Cottage, savouring a delicious cup of freshly ground coffee and wondering what I can offer to the world and to Nourish readers. Lots of ideas flit through my mind, like restless butterflies, but I need that special feeling that bites at your gut and grabs your heart…

“So, I got your attention at last!” spoke Mother in her indescribably loving voice.

So, assuming that the Ideas Fairy has taken a vacation, I decide to go wash the dishes and clean up the cat’s offerings (Countess Helana has been eating grass again). As my concentration becomes focused upon the mundane but necessary jobs in hand, my thoughts become attuned to the beloved Mother of All Creation who is ever present and infi-

“So often I hear you and your fellow humans asking, ‘What is my purpose in life?’ and I say to you this; your purpose is to know these simple things and to become them. All the rest will unfold once these basic tenets are mastered.”

www.nourishpublication.com

“I see your thoughts are focused upon Kindness and Patience today, beloved child of mine. This is good and brings light and joy to creation and the creative process.”

She continued.

36

“Allow me to give you examples of how this might work for you. It is a human trait to look outside of the self and give others the power to make you feel good or bad. For example, if someone ignores you and you feel rejected, you might say, ‘So-and-so is treating me badly. I don’t deserve this. Why is he/she ignoring me and rejecting my kindness?’ I say to you, turn that question around and instead ask yourself, ‘Why am I treating me badly? Why am I rejecting me? Why am I ignoring my own kindness and goodness and why do I attempt to give it to others when in truth I should be giving it to myself at this time?’

“Another example would be if someone is attempting to show you how to do something and you are not getting it.

You become frustrated and the dialogue begins inside your head that you are stupid, dumb, inadequate, unteachable, etc.

Quickly, the reflection of your thoughts about yourself manifest in agreement with you, and your ‘teacher’ appears to make you feel small, stupid, inadequate and unteachable.

The truth of the matter is this; you are being impatient with yourself. This impatience is then reflected back to you via the other co-creator in your life that day. That is all it is.

Once you take a couple of deep breaths, step back and go within and APPROVE of YOURSELF – thereby practising Patience with yourself – there will be a whole new outcome. You will suddenly realise that you don’t need to understand, or your teacher will find a simpler way of teaching you! Everyone’s a winner!!”

Practice being in peace with yourself first and foremost.

You cannot fail to be peaceful with others as a result.”

“When you are in Peace with yourself, you are closest to Me. The state of Grace that Peace and Kindness generates emits a frequency of light so magnificent that others cannot fail to benefit.”

This beautiful, simple conversation was all I needed and my Ask was Given. My offering to you is to share this wise counsel with love from my heart. Can’t wait for the next conversation.

Simultaneously as I was writing this article and as if by divine design (!) some wise old owl had posted these words of wisdom on Facebook: Mother grant me the Serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the Courage to change the one I can… and the Wisdom to know it’s Me! I REST MY CASE! Have a wonderful August, and may the sun shine in your heart every day.

Love from Heartlight Cottage… Jay xxx Connect with Jay www.heartlight-cottage.com

“Notice that the word Patience also contains the words IN PEACE. When you are In Peace – in other words, being still in your heart where I reside with you – you are practising Patience.

Notice that the word Kindness also contains the words END SIN… Think about this and feel the words giving you a different perspective.” *Note to readers: Try as I might, Mother would not offer more words on this bit… I am given to understand that we are to feel the words and feel what they mean for us, individually and the meaning will unfold for each one as it is meant to.* “Practice kindness first to yourself. You cannot fail to offer kindness to others when you feel this way about yourself. www.nourishpublication.com

37

Power Animal

With a love that is beyond words

As I sat down and dropped into heart space and asked what power animal was coming forth this month, moose wandered in chewing its cud and some foliage. Moose stood there looking at me and waited patiently as I pulled out my notebook. Then making a loud bellow in response to my readiness, he shares his message with you. “I am moose and I represent among other things the primordial feminine. Today I would like to speak to you about this majestic and vast universe that is you the and primordial feminine. The feminine energy flows through all of you, male and female alike. The masculine energy flows through all of you as well. However, you were all born from the Womb of Creation and then from the womb of your mothers. So this creative force of All of creation is what you are made of !!! You are the universe itself brought to being by the sacred dance of love of two polarities but they are not really in opposition to each other as their creation is but one in love. Do you understand?

www.nourishpublication.com

All of your creations come forth from the Womb of Creation, the place where everything resides waiting to be brought to fruition. Tap deep into this place from whence you came. Where your heart and all the love you will ever need and want resides!!! Deep within your hearts is where the womb of creation is. Feel the truth of this and know its wisdom, infinite possibilities and the love that is beyond words time space and eternity!!! �

With a deep love that is beyond words Moose

Contact Michelle bloghttp://whitestareagle.wordpress.com or email me at empathlove2003@yahoo.ca.

I look forward to hearing from you!

38

Moose medicine is the medicine of Self-Esteem, Primal Feminine Energies, Balance, Fearlessness

www.nourishpublication.com

39

Crystals

Hope Suggit

My first crystal was a Self Healer. It was appropriate, because by the time it came to me, I was twenty-five years old, and a hot mess. That's another story for another time.

Let me tell you crystal personalities.

My first Self Healer

I wore my first crystal in a little leather bag tied around my neck. On a conscious level I had no idea what I was doing, I just thought I needed to do it. Subconsciously, I knew I felt "better" wearing this crystal around my neck. In actability, this little gem was transforming me, at the core of me; healing hurts and disappointments from childhood traumas, healing what therapists, teachers, and my parents could www.nourishpublication.com

not . It not only healed me, it re-established a long forgotten relationship I had with crystals from my childhood. This tiny little Self Healer helped me to open my heart to hearing Crystals again.

Here's the thing, I didn't know what it was, or what is was doing, until about 10 years after I began wearing it. One day, as I was looking at the crystal, as I often did, I noticed that it had grown a bump where it had been broken from the matrix. I took it to the store that I had bought it from, and they told me about Self Healers. I was blown away. You mean there are crystals that do specific jobs, over and above their regular healing abilities? That was the beginning of my journey with crystal personalities. And, my life has not been the same since. After studying the healing properties of crystals, and applying them to my healing practice, I was ready to learn what other gifts these crystals had to offer.

And, when a person is ready to learn, Universe makes it easy to do so.

My next crystal adventure happened that same day; I was introduced to a Channeler. Channelers help us to access information from other realms. Other realms include those on other dimensions, other times and places, our Angels...access from realms that may be opened only to you, as each Channeler attunes to someone and offers Gifts 40

unique to that person. My Channeler became my most useful crystal tool. I place it on the altar I use for my tarot readings. It's present for spiritual counseling sessions and of course for Crystal Messages sessions. I slept with it for years, receiving downloads of information that I still draw on today.

Dictioinary.com defines personality as; a person as an embodiment of a collection of qualities: the essential character of a person For me, personality is the unique vibration we came into this reality with.

As the Universe exhaled into existence, a vibration emanated across the expanse; never ending, touching and becoming everything it touched. Our world, the plants, then creatures, you and me...crystals and stones were created with this vibration.

And, and everything was given a unique energy signature that also resonated with the entire cosmos. Crystal may not fit our definition of a "person", however they do possess a Spirit energy, and each have a unique vibration.

Channeler with Phantoms

Dictioinary.com defines personality as; a person as an embodiment of a collection of q ualities: the essential character of a person

Crystals offer us Gifts of healing that are unique to their personality. Self-Healers, Channelers, Key-Holes, Scepters...they all have a special and unique Gift, that they were created for, much like us, but we'll talk about that another time. The great thing is they make it easy for us to recognize them, and how to use them, by differing configurations of facets, faces, and points. Much like how Nature color coded food and stones to define their purpose, personalities are defined to match the job they do. Once you learn how to recognize the personality of a crystal, the quicker you will learn how to work with it.

The Channeler for instance, is recognized by the large seven-sided face that has a perfect triangle directly opposite of it. To use it, you go into meditation, surround yourself with protection, connect with the Spirit keeper of the crystal, and place the large face toward and the triangle on your brow chakra. You may be aware of information being downloaded. Or, you may be like me, and all of the sudden "know" things that you have no idea how you know.

Let's look at an Amethyst Channeler. The amethyst properties tell us what chakra it will benefit the most, and therefore what mind/body/spirit issue it will heal. The Channeler aspects tell us that it is best to channel that healing energy. If it was an Amethyst Laser it would be best used to precisely deliver the healing energy. A crystal's properties tell us what the crystal does, the personality tells us how to do it.

I get excited about the gift Crystals have for us. They can aide us on our Path, much like compasses, and Spirit Guides. Crystals come to us when we are ready to receive their Gifts. Don't miss an opportunity to accept it. When you pick up your next crystal see if you can identify a Channeler. Consider taking your crystal knowledge to the next level. If you would like to learn more about crystal personalities, I am offering an online course beginning August 15th. We will examine thirteen crystal personalities and take a guided meditation to meet the Spirit Keeper for each one. You can take these classes at your own pace, and in the comfort of our own home. Please click here contact us to pre-register, for more information, and to pre-register.

Connect with Hope at http://www.wisewomanpathways.com/ Banded Amethyst Channeler

www.nourishpublication.com

Facebook

41

Essential Oils

What do YOU feel when the topic of forgiveness comes up? Light? Free? Heavy? Angry? I wager that more people feel the latter two than the first two!

q uency of 192 MHz (the human body vibrates at 62-68 MHz, the human brain is 72-90 MHz. Rose oil has the highest freq uency - 320MHz.)

Forgiveness is a topic that is very emotionally charged for many people. Either they feel very wronged or they feel as though they have acted in ways that cannot be forgiven. Often they have been told just that and they believe it to be true. Or they have been the speaker and believe it to be just as true.

There are a number of ways to utilize this fragrant blend. You can apply it topically over the heart or the liver. Diffuse it directly into a room. A drop or two in a bath is most helpful. Meditate using the oil, either smelling it directly from the bottle, diffusing it into your meditation room, or putting a drop on a cotton ball. It can be helpful in a group situation to assist the members to access forgiveness for themselves and for those who may have harmed them.

What is the opposite of forgiveness? Resentment, anger, hatred….you could probably come up with several more. What do you suppose your bodies— mental, emotional, physical, spiritual—do with those energies? Is that who you truly want to be? I thought not. It takes a lot of effort to hold on to anger and resentment. Whether you want it to be true or not, it also takes being a victim. I am not suggesting that you werenJt a victim at some point, it’s just that holding on to that experience, to that sad story, is not very healthy.

Forgiveness essential oil blend was formulated to help you release anger and resentment, to help you stand in the beauty of who you truly are. The oils that make up the blend are powerful in their own right: frankincense, sandalwood, ylang ylang, rose, palmarosa, angelica, bergamot, coriander, helichrysum, Melissa, jasmine absolute, roman chamomile, geranium, lavender and lemon. The blend vibrates at a fre-

www.nourishpublication.com

If you happen to own toning bowls, either q uartz or Tibetan, put a drop into the bowl or rub a small amount on the rim prior to playing. Breathe in the scent and bask in the freq uency created by the sound and the oil blend.

It’s a great little oil blend. I wouldn’t be without it!

For more information on Young Living Essential oils and blends, please contact me by email at lightvera1@gmail.com or go to the website: www.youngliving.org Please remember to use only 3rd party certified therapeutic grade essential oils.

Vera

42

Contact Vera at lightvera1@gmail.com for more information.

www.nourishpublication.com

43

Rune of the Month

symbolizes travel, progress, journeys, forward energy and movement The stone I chose for August is Ehwaz. It is the rune of Sleipnir, Odin’s eight-legged steed. As with a man and his horse, it represents trust and loyalty. The horse was considered to be sacred to ancient man and both the sun and moon were pulled in their chariots by horses.

It can mean a journey by land and depending on the other runes in the cast, could be for pleasure, family get-together, or to visit a sick relative. It could also signify a change in home or neighborhood.

Laguz. If Raidho shows then the journey will only be temporary, but it will be one of pleasure.

In some cases, especially when drawn with Uruz, it may show and sudden or unexpected change. Unless associated with negative runes, it is not likely to be unpleasant.

However, if Ehwaz reversed is coupled with other negative runes, its counsel is to hold fast and not implement any changes as they are likely to result in misfortune and loss.

Ehwaz in a prominent position suggests that whatever your question, you are tackling it in the right manner and are close to success.

Even in reverse, Ehwaz is the one rune that does not automatically assume a negative meaning. Sometimes it will indicate a far journey, especially if paired with

www.nourishpublication.com

Contact Phil at nourishpublication@gmail.com for more information.

44

www.nourishpublication.com

45

Message from the Angels Grow where you are planted.

It does not matter what type of path you are on, Spiritual, Christian, Islamic, Baha’i, or just regular John or Jane Doe Human, at some point the grass is going to look greener on the other side. At some point you are going to have, what seems like more problems than Carter has pills. And these “at some points” will probably show up more than once in your life time. The trick is to grow where you are planted. Think of weeds and how they will grow, some vigorously, in the darnedest places. Any place their seed lands they grow, often under adverse conditions. They adapt to their surroundings.

To grow where you are planted means to take the life you have been dealt and accept it, or change it. It does not matter if you are a CEO of a major company pulling 90 hours a week with mega savings in the bank or a cashier pulling 30 hours a week barely making ends meet. Both scenarios have their own problems and greener grass views. It boils down to what you really want your life to be, it is your life after all and at any given moment you can accept or change it.

To accept it means you make peace with it and allow it to flow. You do not hold onto what doesn’t seem to be working, you hold onto what is working. What is stopping you from changing your life if you are not satisfied with the life you were dealt?

To change means you are going to put in the effort it will take, and do whatever it takes to shift your circumstances. What is stopping you from accepting your life if you are not satisfied with the life you were dealt?

Each of you, no matter who you are, CEO or cashier, is looking for one thing … peace. Peace has many ways of looking but internally when you are at peace, life flows best, you are happy. And from this place of peace less irritates or bothers you. You become more accepting of what is and adapt to the conditions, no matter what they are. You make the best of it!

You make the best of it. You acknowledge that you are where you are because you have accepted your life,

problems and all. If you really were totally dissatisfied you would find a way to change it. You keep adapting to your conditions, much like the weed. You keep growing and blooming no matter how many times you are cut to the earth or have your roots ripped up. For it is your life, and there is something to be said for your life. There are all those good things you tend to forget about when the lemons start landing. All the love you have for your family. All the memories, which no amount of money can buy. The gratitude you have that you have a roof over your head, shoes on your feet and food in your belly.

Where ever you are currently planted, you can thrive.

If something needs tweaking, then tweak it. If something is not resonating with your internal self, you need to exam what it would take to shift it.

Really, the grass is not greener on the other side, everyone has challenges… even those you are looking at wishing you had their money, their job, their looks or their life. Trading in your problems for someone else’s might seem like a good idea but you were planted in your life for a reason. Make the best of it… grow, blossom and thrive where you are planted.

The Angels

AUGUST 2013 www.nourishpublication.com

46

www.nourishpublication.com

47

Photo by Phil Nielsen www.nourishpublication.com

48