The Blood & Non Blood
Lineages Walking with your Ancestors The Tale of Three Women
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FALL 2022 ISSUE 24
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Remember the last time your family visited the forest? It’s a place of wonder and imagination for the whole family—where stories come to life. And it’s closer than you think. Sounds like it’s time to plan your next visit. Make the forest part of your story today at a local park near you or find one at DiscoverTheForest.org.
EDITOR | PUBLISHER Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Amy Gillespie Dougherty | Moon Eir |Sophia Harmes | Dana Jefferson Chuck Kruse | Mary Mannix | Gita Rash | Eagle Skyfire | Aurelia Spencer ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Mary Soanes IT & LOGISTICS Glenn Eckman COVER DESIGN | EDITORIAL DESIGN | PHOTO SELECTION Alex Lucas of Oh The Raven Studio | ohtheraven.com EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS Article guidelines are available on our website therapeuticthymes.com/submissions CALENDER SUBMISSIONS Submit your event via email to info@therapeuticthymes.com ADVERTISING INFORMATION To request a media kit, please email advertise@therapeuticthymes.com or call 717-419-8796. Deadline for our Winter Issue (due out in December) is 1 October. OFFICE Therapeutic Thymes, LLC PO Box 4731 | Lancaster, PA 17604 Phone: 717-419-8796 | info@therapeuticthymes.com © 2022 by Therapeutic Thymes, LLC. | All rights reserved. | ISSN 2474-8315
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CONTENTS 2022
Materia Medica: Cedar (Cedrus libani)
Ten of Pentacles: Where Do You Find Your Security?
By Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman
By Mary K. Mannix
Our Herbal History
Connecting to Your Soul’s Eternal Life Book
By Chuck Kruse
By Dr. Moon Eir
Featured Artists Honoring the Ancestors
How I Honored My Ancestors with My Wonderfully Mysterious Ceiling Fan
The Blood and Non-Blood Lineages
By Aurelia Spencer
By Dana Jefferson, C.Ht., Ph.D., CAHA
13 Journal Prompts for Working with Your Ancestors
Ancestorial Holidays
By Sophia Harmes
By Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman
Walking With Your Ancestors
The Ancient Science of Jyotisha
By Eagle Skyfire
The Tale of Three Women
By Gita Rash
Amy Gillespie Dougherty
DEPARTMENTS
COVER IMAGE
By shvets production via Pexels
04
Editor’s Note
81
Contributors
07
News & Tidbits
86
Advertiser Index
75
Book Thyme
EDITOR'S NOTE
Welcome to our Fall 2022 Issue.
The theme throughout this issue is Honoring The Ancestors. I am so excited to bring you this issue. Our collective ancestors are excited about this issue. We all work with our ancestors in different ways. How do you work with yours? Our incredible authors have again brought some great articles. I learned a lot in this issue, especially Amy Gillespie Dougherty’s article on ancestral eye reading. I hope you do as well. As always, whether you are new to the natural, holistic, and self-sustaining lifestyle, or an expert in a related field, I am so glad you joined us on this exciting journey. Grab a cup of your favorite tea and join us a spell.
Blessings!
~ Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman Editor / Publisher
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NEWS & TIDBITS
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NEWS & TIDBITS
Fall Into
HEALTHY HABITS THIS AUTUMN (News USA) – Autumn is considered a transitional season. The weather turns brisk; the leaves change from a dull brown to firestorm of color; and the darkness settles in earlier. For many, it is a favorite time of year, but for others it can be a trigger to falling off the health and fitness wagon. After all, how can you be expected to ignore pumpkin spice lattes? “Fall … is a great time to start a fitness program because you’re going to create good habits for the holiday season and the upcoming winter months,” says Justin Price, owner of Biomechanics, a personal training and wellness coaching facility in San Diego, California.
The following tips offer ideas on how to stay healthy through what is arguably one of the most pleasant times of the year: • Head for the hills. Fall is a great time to get outside and explore your own backyard. So, grab a friend and find a local park to walk, run or bike on. If you are lucky enough to live close to hills or mountains, autumn is a perfect time to go for a hike. • Turn chores into a workout. Raking leaves or gardening burns about 150 calories every 30 minutes, so if you find that you do not have time for exercise, grab a rake or a hoe, and turn seasonal tasks into a fat-burning workout. • Drink plenty of water. Water is crucial to maintaining optimal health. While water has a myriad of health benefits, research has shown that in order for
your body to function properly, it must continuously work to maintain a proper pH, or chemical balance. This, say experts, is why drinking alkaline ionized water should be an essential part of anyone’s health plan. Doctors recommend the mild alkalinity because it allows for more effective hydration by supporting an optimal pH-balanced body. • Try something new. Fall is the perfect time to gain new physical skills, says Price. Always wanted to learn to in-line skate or ride a horse? Fall is a great time to explore an activity that you’ve always wanted to try. ❁
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NEWS & TIDBITS HOLISTIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE LAUNCHES THE HOLISTIC EDUCATION FOUNDATION TO ADVANCE AWARENESS AND EDUCATION AMONG CONSUMERS
PLANO, TX (PRNewswire) – The Holistic Chamber of Commerce (HCC), the premier professional networking organization serving holistically minded professionals, practitioners, business owners and service providers, is pleased to announce the launch of the Holistic Education Foundation (HEF). With a mission of increasing awareness and education among consumers, the HEF will focus on articles and social media posts about holistic, natural, and integrative health, wellness, and personal development options. The HEF is fully aligned with the Holistic Chamber of Commerce in their commitment to increase understanding of holistic approaches along with access to quality providers for products, services, and solutions in this ever-expanding niche. Nowadays, consumers are seeking products and services that help them reach their health and wealth goals, including wellness and personal development techniques. Both the HCC and the HEF support these therapeutic options by promoting healthy living habits and recommending natural and integrative approaches, where reasonable, instead of standard status quo suggestions.
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With the wide variety of health care therapies and techniques under the umbrella of holistic and integrative medicine, there is plenty to do. Future articles will cover techniques including acupuncture, chiropractic, hypnotherapy, essential oils, massage, oriental and herbal medicine, as well as more esoteric modalities. Through this partnership, the three main goals of these sister organizations are to increase: • Awareness: to highlight integrative and functional health care options. • Education: to share relevant articles for those who are curious and researching different possibilities; and • Access: Due to the sensitive nature of health, wellness and personal development, the Holistic Education Foundation only makes referrals to reference-checked members of the Holistic Chamber of Commerce. Long-time HCC Member and HEF Board Treasurer, Karen Sachs, points out that “Collaborations are always stronger than going it alone and I am thrilled to support the up-leveling of our holistic industry with this new Foundation.”
Sara Munshin, Board Secretary for the new Foundation, notes that “we are health-focused, preferring overall health instead of disease management. The Foundation will allow us to get our shared message out to the world to encourage a proactive approach in managing one’s health.” In addition to helping consumers maintain optimal health, thus decreasing the amount of economic resources needed for emergency health costs, this innovative partnership assists people in taking control of their future with more preventative health care and a focus on wellness. ❁
invasive insect. Those who find spotted lanternflies on their property can reduce the population and its impact by trapping and squishing them. Penn State Extension’s website includes instructions for making your own circle trap using easily obtainable items including plastic milk jugs, duct tape, screen wire, twine, hot glue, and gallonsized food-storage bags. Traps can also be purchased through agriculture and nursery supply stores. For more information on making a circle trap, visit extension.psu.edu/how-to-build-anew-style-spotted-lanternfly-circle-trap. ❁
AG SECRETARY SHARES WAYS TO SLOW SPREAD OF SPOTTED LANTERNFLY
TIPS TO A CLEAN YOGA MAT
Monongahela, PA – PA Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding recently met with Penn State Extension Area Master Gardener Coordinator Valerie Sesler, and other state and local leaders to discuss the threat that the spotted lanternfly poses and share information and resources to help limit the spread of the detrimental,
Yoga mats should be cleaned after every practice, especially if you practice daily. But how do you clean your yoga mat? Your mat can be home to dust mites, parasites, and other bacteria. Mix vinegar with water in a spray bottle. Spray the cleaner on side. Wipe down with a clean cloth. Once it air dries, repeat on the other side. ❁
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MATERIA MEDICA: CEDAR (CEDRUS LIBANI)
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By Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman
FAMILY: Pinaceae COMMON NAME(S): Cedar, Cedar of Lebanon. USDA HARDINESS: Zones 5-6
GENDER: Masculine ELEMENT: Fire DESCRIPTION & CULTIVATION: The cedar can grow over 100 feet and has a massive columnar trunk. The trunk then forks out into several branches, much like a family tree. While it thrives on most soil, it prefers a sandy clay soil. It is often planted in parks and gardens as an ornamental tree.
MEDICINAL USES: Native Americans use cedar to combat head colds. The cedrus is an antiseptic as well as an expectorant. MAGIKAL USES: Cedar is purifying. It his known to aid against bad dreams. It can protect your home, it is said, from lightening strikes. Cedar is common in money manifestation spells. It is added to love sachets. It is commonly burned to induce or enhance psychic powers. ❁
PARTS USED: Twigs and leaves CULINARY USES: No culinary uses. The wood from a cedar is commonly used for furniture and shipbuilding. Essential oils are also extracted from the timber. Sources: "Cedrus libani Cedar of Lebanon PFAF Plant Database". pfaf.org. Plants for a Future. Retrieved 20 June 2022. “Cedrus libani” Landscape Plants. Oregon State University, College of Agricultural Sciences. Cedrus libani | Landscape Plants | Oregon State University. Retrieved 20 June 2022. Cunningham, Scott. Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 2014. Pages 76 Gardner, M. (2013). "Cedrus libani". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. (Cedrus libani (Cedar of Lebanon) (iucnredlist.org)) 2013: Retrieved 20 June 2022.
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OUR HERBAL HISTORY By Chuck Kruse
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I HAVE BEEN STUDYING AND USING HERBS SINCE THE 1980'S. WHAT PROMPTED ME WAS HAVING KIDS AND NO MEDICAL INSURANCE, OR BAD MEDICAL INSURANCE. I WAS A TREE SURGEON BACK THEN AND TREE MEN WERE NOT GIVEN MUCH IN THE WAY OF BENEFITS SO AND I HAD TO COME UP WITH SOME WAY TO KEEP US ALL HEALTHY. I started reading books about using herbs for medicine, and gave it a try. I’m glad to say it worked and the proof of it is that my kids are all alive today! Through the years I continued to use the herbs and try to learn as much as I could. It has been a great adventure, and a fascinating study. It turns out that my grandfather, who I never met, was a pharmacist back in the 1800’s. It would be safe to say that our use of herbs dates back at least to him. My grandfather passed his
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pharmacist test in August of 1891. His name was Charles Skinner. Back in those days, herbs figured prominently in the creation of prescriptions, and it is highly likely that Grandfather knew a lot more about herbs than we will ever know. I had no idea that all this was in my blood when I started working with herbs myself. Here in this article, I will attempt to pass on some of what I have learned, and I do hope that you add to this knowledge and enhance your ability to take care of yourself.
TO BEGIN, THESE ARE A FEW HERBS THAT I HAVE FOUND HELPFUL: MULLEIN
SLIPPERY ELM
Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is one of the most useful herbs you will find. It has the ability to clear up a runny nose like almost nothing else. If you have anything going on with your respiratory system, Mullein will help you.
Slippery elm (Ulmus rubra) is the king of sore throat treatments. This herb will soothe your throat and help it to heal.
BONESET Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) is another great herb for a cold. It helps to get rid of the aches and pains. It’s also very good for broken bones, and drinking boneset tea will speed up your recovery. I have found that it works for sprains and tears as well.
SPEARMINT Spearmint (Mentha x spicata) is the thing for upset stomach. Besides tasting great, it will calm your indigestion.
GINGER Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is an herbal anti-inflammatory.
YARROW If you feel some sickness coming on, start drinking Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) tea. In many cases you can ward off the problem and let it pass altogether. Yarrow helps the immune system to fight off disease.
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WHITE WILLOW BARK White Willow bark (Salix alba) is where the original Aspirin came from. The benefit here is that the chemical is in its’ original form, with the full herb. This makes it safer. Willow bark tea will relieve pain similar to aspirin.
LICORICE Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) is what we call a ‘binder’ herb, or ‘catalyst’. It has its’ own properties (upset stomach, head cold) but it really shines as an addition to other formulas. Licorice seems to hold the herbs together, so they work
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better. In addition, it tastes good which helps in drinking the tea! A story is told of a Chinese herbal practitioner who was very famous and then he died. People kept coming to his house, but his wife didn’t know about herbs. In desperation, she gave everyone licorice. As the story goes, she had great success with it and became famous herself. So, keep this one in mind! So now that you have an idea about what herbs to gather for preparing your remedies, let's get down to what to do with them.
HOW TO PREPARE HERBS For our purposes, we shall concentrate on herbal tea. Do not make the mistake of thinking this is the easy way out, there is a lot of benefit in making tea. For one, it is hard to mess up. For another, tea extracts a great deal of the medicine in the herb, and presents it to you in a way that is easy to administer; just drink the tea! Now, that might not be as easy as it sounds, some of these herbs taste pretty strange (read bad) but you get used to it, and when you see how it helps, you'll force yourself to get used to it.
medicine. Another way, and the way I generally do it, is to use the herbs more in a homeopathic way. That is, less herb, measured in teaspoons. Since I generally mix herbs depending on the situation, the small dosage method seems to work very well. However, let’s say you’re treating a cold; the first few doses of Mullein might be pretty large in order to get the thing under control and relieve symptoms. Then, you lessen the dose as the cold continues. Remember, with herbs you are trying to set the stage for the body to heal itself, not clobber disease with strong drugs and mask symptoms. We are going for a cure; normal medicine just wants to manage the disease.
SO HERE WE GO: The general method for making herbal tea is this: • Put the herbs into the cup you are going to use • Pour boiling water into the cup, covering the herbs and filling the cup • Let it sit for 20 minutes (set a timer) • Strain the herbs out of the tea • Drink and get well!
HOW MUCH TO USE It is always possible that someone might be allergic to a specific herb, so it is a good idea to start out with a very small amount, say a half teaspoon, of the herb made into a tea in a cup of hot water. If this sits well with you, you could use more. There are many methods of using herbs. One way is to use a lot of herb, measured in grams, to create a strong FALL 2022 | 17
HOW TO DECIDE WHAT HERBS TO USE Here is a good question, and one that has been discussed in hundreds of books over hundreds if not thousands of years. If you get into it, you can make quite a study of this. There are many systems of herbal medicine, and many methods of picking an herb or two to use in a specific case. Truly, almost all of them work if you learn the system. That 'learning the system' however, can take years and if your nose is running you really don't have years.
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If you do have the time, studying herbal medicine is a great calling and I certainly suggest that you do it but I’m going to make it easy for you to start out and give you some suggestions on what to mix up for given conditions. As you go on in your herbal journey though, you might well discover methods and herbs that work better for you. You might study a classic herbal system and get really good at it. That would be great, but here are some guidelines to start with.
CONDITION
HERBS
Head Cold
A good remedy for a cold is Mullein and Boneset, 2 parts Mullein to 1 part Boneset. This will dry up a runny nose most of the time.
Sore Throat
For a sore throat, use Slippery Elm with a possible addition of Licorice.
Stomach Ache
Spearmint, sometimes you can mix Licorice in as well. If it is severe, add Ginger
Sickness Prevention
Yarrow tea will help you ward off sickness if you feel something coming on but it isn’t quite there yet
Aches and Pains
Willow bark will help this. If the ache is internal add Ginger. If external, add Boneset.
Bone Breaks, Sprains, Tears
Just Do Not Feel Good
Boneset helps in these cases
Spearmint tea is a general calming agent, this may be used freely
As I said, this is something to get you started. It is by no means complete. You will learn as you go, and probably add herbs to your assortment as time goes on. When and if you are unsure, do consult a physician and if you are currently using prescription medicines, it is imperative that you tell your physician
about your herbs and thoroughly research any possible herb-drug interactions. There are many, and you don't want to cause trouble to yourself or anyone else. Those precautions given, take joy in your herbal studies! ❁
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FE ATURE D ART ISTS
Honoring The Ancestors Stacia Baldwin and Deb Schaffer are two artists who both found a way to Honor The Ancestors though their work, Stacia’s artwork is portrayed on her Instagram, @beastieandbone. Deb owns Enchanted Botanicals. We asked both the same questions in
Beastie + Bone | Life Investment
regard to their art.
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TELL OUR READERS A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR WORK. Deb responded: I am a "spiritual herbalist," which means that I work with the spiritual, energetic, and sometimes magical properties of the plant realms. I've trained as an herbalist, but I really prefer working with the "unseen superpowers" of plants. Each plant carries a specific vibration, and my job is to tap into that vibe in a way that helps people heal and empower their emotional, mental, and spiritual selves. I'm also an author (Notes from an Enchanted Garden), the founder of Enchanted Botanicals LLC, a reiki master-teacher, a mom, wife, and friend.
Stacia responded: At the age of five, I created a threedimensional wolf mask out of a paper bag, complete with a conical nose, stick-up ears, and whiskers made of thin strips of craft paper. The rest, as they say, is history. My fascination with the natural world and recreating it with art never faded, as early dreams of being a National park ranger, a paleontologist, or a National Geographic photographer were squashed by multiplying health issues the older I got. Maybe I couldn’t discover rare species in remote deserts or jungles. But no matter how bad I felt, I could always hold a pencil or a pair of scissors.
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After high school I studied illustration and fine art in Wisconsin for several years, then relocated to New England to get a certificate in illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design. During my time there, I discovered paper art. I was enamored by this new way to bring a next-level tactile realism to my studies of animals and bugs. But it wasn’t until I had moved to the Pacific Northwest and my health gave out completely after months of overworking that I realized how meaningful I could make this new medium. I began creating paper bones as an apologetic love-letter to my own struggling skeletal system. The more I studied skeletal systems in order to create accurate art pieces, the more my frustration with my faulty joints gave way to awe. My bones are functioning and supporting me despite years of difficulties. As I created more of what I now call “paper taxidermies” and shared about why I created them, I realized others with their own health struggles resonated deeply with my work. And, as my health slowly improved and time in nature eased my healing process, I saw more clearly than ever the connections between the well-being of our bodies and the well-being of the wild ecosystems around us. Thus, Beastie + Bone was born. My goal is to bring attention to endangered North American species, foster
...I saw more clearly than ever the connections between the well-being of our bodies and the well-being of the wild ecosystems around us.
Beastie + Bone | Death And The Wolf
Beastie + Bone | Respect
compassion for our bodies in an age where overwork and exhaustion is at an all-time-high, and encourage people to be curious about the wild in themselves and outside. You can find me creating paper taxidermies of bones and bugs alongside linocut prints and digital illustrations in my tiny studio in Seattle. I am also a professional art framer, a shaky yoga practitioner, determined to get all the stamps in my National Park Passport before I die, and married to an
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enormously supportive man who puts up with my invasive pinecone and rock collections.
WHAT DOES ‘HONORING THE ANCESTORS’ MEAN TO YOU? Deb responded: I come from a long line of wise woman "healers" in the Eastern European traditions. Plants have always been important to us, and I now am the "guardian" of dozens of plants and
herbs that have been handed down through my lineage, beginning with my great-grandmother, who was the first to immigrate to the US from Lithuania. She established a general store in PA, where she compounded "medicine" for her patrons. I like to think that my spiritual "medicine" -- balms and salves for the spirit, meditation candles, and energy work -- are a way to follow in her footsteps. My grandmother was famous for growing and giving away plants (another form of spirit healing, I believe). I call her my "flower guide from the other side." I'm grateful that our current times allow us to be less secretive about the unseen medicine that exists in our world. And I believe that my female ancestors are happy to be working their magic through me.
domesticated and wild. And to live in wonder. While much of my childhood was tumultuous, their home was a haven.
Stacia responded:
I have so many memories of working alongside them in the barn, in the gardens, in the workshop and the house. Of long walks through the farm that had been in our family for hundreds of years. We searched for beavers, turtles, squirrels, frogs, fish, songbirds and hawks. They let me fill my pockets - and theirs - with as many nuts, leaves, beetles, and rocks as caught my eye. Afterwards, we would sit down and admire these treasures. My grandfather would tell me facts about my finds, and my grandmother would get out a huge drawing pad she kept just for the kids. Together, we would draw the deer we had seen by the lake, or that patch of bright buttercups I had found in the pasture.
As someone with few family connections, ancestry is usually an uncomfortable thing for me to consider. But when it comes to art, it clicks immediately. Who I have become, what I value, and the art I create would never have happened without those who came before me. My grandparents specifically. They were the most positively influential people in my life growing up. My grandfather was a science teacher, a principal, a carpenter, and a farmer. My grandmother, who immigrated from Finland after WWII to marry my grandfather, was a natural healer, an artist, and gardener. From them I learned to value the handmade and honor labor. To care for and observe animals both
In this, doing good work, caring about nature, and valuing beauty has always been tied to my relationship with my grandparents. So inexplicably so, that I named my first art business Kalliomäki Designs, in honor of the house my grandfather built for my grandmother. Kalliomäki Designs is now Beastie + Bone, but the why behind it is the same. To take the generational love and husbandry of family land, and extend it to all natural spaces. To pass on the invitation to slow down, to observe, and delight in what’s around you. And to view everything, whether my original thoughts, the bodies and wellbeing of others, or the plants and
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animals around me, as valuable, as worthwhile, as art. My grandparents are gone now, and I never got to tell them in person just how large of an impact their love in giving me a safe space to be curious and learn compassion had on me. So as my way of keeping them close, I carry the skills and values they fostered in me into every piece of my art. In doing so, I share them with others, and through those connections their love and care will never fade away.
HOW DOES YOUR WORK REFLECT THE THEME FOR THIS ISSUE? Deb responded: I founded Enchanted Botanicals as a way to combine gifts from the earth with the magic of our Universe. Every formula for every candle, incense, and balm, is channeled from the Divine through my female ancestors and my feminine guides. It's sacred work, but so necessary in these times. I don't feel alone in my work because I feel the wisdom of my lineage lending me the power to create more and more magic for the world
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Beastie + Bone | Linocut Prints
Stacia responded: As mentioned earlier, all my art is inspired, at its roots, by my grandparents. My passion for art and nature and creating a positive impact would not be here without them. But more specifically on the topic of honoring those who have come before, I am currently developing a series of paper taxidermies of North American megafauna and extinct species coupled with currently common flora of the areas that were once their habitat. By bringing these ancestral inhabitants
back into current settings in this way, I hope to inspire others to consider how their actions affect the lives around them. What commonplace things today could become obscure, alien-looking specimens in the future? And what wonderful things have we forgotten in our rush towards progress? ❁
ENCHANTED BOTANICALS blends spirits with earthen magic. Deb creates intentional candles, scented candles, fairy charms, ritual bath products, witch balls, and more. She uses herbs and crystals and incense. ❁ STACIA currently donates a portion of
her paper taxidermy sales to either the World Wildlife Fund, or the Yellowstone Wolf Project. She picked the World Wildlife Fund as she is in a transient period in life and have not yet been able to put down roots and find a local conservation group to work with. The Yellowstone Wolf Project is very dear to her. She watched a National Geographic TV special on the wolves of Yellowstone when she was very young, and it made an enormous impression on her. I can still remember the awe I felt watching and learning about the wolves, and want to make sure they’re still around for the health of the planet and for others to learn from. ❁
Deb Schaffer
Stacia Baldwin
enchanted-botanicals.com @enchantedbotanicals
beastieandbone.com @beastieandbone
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THE BLOOD & NON-BLOOD LINEAGES By Dana Jefferson, C.Ht., Ph.D., CAHA WE LIVE IN A DAY AND AGE WHEN DNA TESTING IS AVAILABLE TO GIVE US A WEALTH OF INFORMATION CONCERNING OUR ANCESTRAL LINE. Adoptees can glimpse from where their biological family may have originated geographically. Not sure what type of breeds are found in that cute rescue pup you got at the shelter? There is also DNA testing for that. I personally found the information, from my DNA test valuable, especially given that I opted to receive medical related data as well.
My blood reinforces what my family told me about my ancestors primarily coming from Scotland and England. From my early days in shamanic and spiritual training, I was drawn to Celtic Shamanism and Celtic practices such as celebrating Samhain and Imbolc. What my blood does not explain is why I was also drawn to Tibetan Shamanism and why the first time I was at a ceremony where the Kaddish was said, I knew the words despite not being Jewish. Why was I drawn to visit Morocco the first time I went on an airplane? Why are there places, despite my great love for travel, that I do not have a strong desire to visit? I am
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“IN THE END, FAMILY WAS NOT ABOUT BLOOD...YOU COULD BE BORN INTO A FAMILY, BUT YOU STILL HAD TO CHOOSE THEM.”
sure there are others like me that experience such mysteries. What are these unseen connections and attractions not explained by DNA? One potential solution to such mysteries is one I found in the past. That easy solution is to attribute the non-lineal fascinations to past-live experiences. As a hypnotherapist performing past-life regression, and as someone who has personally participated in several past-life regressions, this provides a partial explanation. It certainly did for me around finding my desire to visit Morocco. Yet, it is clearly not the full answer. I have no such awareness of why I was drawn to Tibetan Shamanism to the point of traveling to Nepal and Tibetan refugee camps in Nepal. Perhaps a deeper dive into DNA could provide some insight. What if the more complex solution does lie in our DNA, but not in the parts of our DNA currently recorded on tests from places from Ancestry. com or 23andme.com? What about the mysterious unknown DNA? Years ago, when I first heard the term “junk DNA,” scientists had no idea why we even had such DNA. Like most things in the scientific world, more information becomes available over time, and scientists are beginning to know more about junk DNA. Mysteries still abound around junk DNA as well as whether or not there are actually more than two strands of DNA. Many spiritual teachers say we have twelve strands of DNA. It is possible that we just do not have the technology yet to see these extra strands of DNA. After all, humans theorized about germs or microscopic entities before we had
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microscopes capable of seeing such minute particles. This makes me think of the Akashic records, the repository of all information from all of our lifetimes—past, present, and future. There are many theories about the Akashic records. Some say these records are stored under the Sphinx in Egypt. Some say they are stored in the drops of water in the oceans. Others say they are in the spiritual equivalent of a computer cloud server. They are stored in our junk DNA. Perhaps we have inexplicable pr. rences stemming from the Akashic records stored in our junk DNA. There may lay preferences related to knowledge or experiences that we do not have direct access to in the way we can access specific past lives. What does all of this mean to us in our daily lives? Why does seeing a disaster in one country spark us to helpful action while a similar disaster in another country is basically ignored? Does this help with the recent trends in healing our ancestral lines so that abuse and trauma does not continue for future generations? Are those genealogies a passport to knowing more about ourselves? Is it even possible to learn
more about our ancestors without wanting to honor them in some way? After all, we owe them our very existence. We owe them our history and the traditions that often define us. “The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina” by Zoraida Cordova states, “In the end, family was not about blood...You could be born into a family, but you still had to choose them.” Some of us have received the great gift of having friends who are considered family. A dear friend who had no living family, choose my family for her holiday celebrations. We choose these non-blood lineage connections. It is helpful to consciously choose our connection to our blood lineage—our own family—as well. All families are flawed in certain ways. Some families have deep trauma and individuals must create boundaries in order to protect themselves. This may limit the appropriateness of completely choosing our families. However, this is not an all or nothing proposition. You can choose to honor the positive gifts from your family, and you can choose to forgive your family for the negative. You can do this without having to choose to have actual contact with your family. This is particularly
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appeared without training. If so, you might important when family members are active want to thank your roots. in their own mental health struggles that you are not equipped to handle. Even Scientists are still learning how our genes mental health professionals face ethical and express themselves. Years ago, I bred boundary issues concerning the treatment Rhodesian Ridgebacks. Deciding on which of family members. You have choices when dog should sire the litter of my breeding dealing with both blood and non-blood female was a complicated families. Please make process. You try to look those choices in at past litters to see a fully conscious ..IF THE ROOT which males sired dogs manner that is best with the requisite ridge IS THERE, THEN for you. which gives the breed THE POSSIBILITY its name along with a The same fiction host of other factors. book referenced OF THE GIFTS One thing that I learned above had another OF THAT from dog breeding interesting quote was the concept of a about ancestors PARTICULAR throwback. At times, a with narrative about ROOT MAY BE puppy would end up a specific novel with traits not seen for character. “You have AVAILABLE TO US. several generations. That never met your trait could be positive great-grandmother, or negative. This happens but blood is like a with humans as well. Sometimes those tether, even when the tether is frayed. The talents or genetic issues might not appear connection is there, deep down, hasta la in our parents or grandparents. We may raiz. Down to the root.” This quote literally have to look further back in our bloodline reminds us of a family tree complete with which can be difficult as humans take roots, trunk, and branches. If the root is longer for breeding generations than do there, then the possibility of the gifts of that canines. With dogs, it is possible that the particular root may be available to us. After great-great grandsire of your dog is still alive all, isn’t it the job of the root to feed the making information easy to obtain. With flower? My maternal grandmother owned a humans, it is rare to know our great-great flower shop and was often chosen by groups grandparents, but we can still be grateful to do the flower arrangements. I was never for those throwback traits we may have trained to do flower arranging, but once been granted. had to do so for an event as an emergency. The arrangements were very well-received. At Samhain (Halloween), I often do a Was this a gift from my roots? Maybe you spirit plate of food for my ancestors or have a musical, artistic, or other talent that
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set a place for them at the dinner table. I do this for close friends (non-blood family) who have crossed during the past year as well. I also honor my ancestors by researching my genealogy. At the recent memorial service of my aunt, my cousins were intrigued when I let them know about the illegitimate birth of our common great-grandfather, Dana Granville Cannon, during the Civil War timeframe. They had always wondered about the great family secret. I have yet to track down the likely sire of Granville Cannon, but I honor the difficult path it must have been for him to be illegitimate in that time period. What courage must have been needed to not only survive but to become the father of at least five children who survived until adulthood: Schoolteacher, Anna Cannon, died in her early twenties from the Spanish Influenza pandemic. Living through COVID has certainly given me a better understanding of what my ancestors experienced during times of plague and pandemic.
Jefferson's Family I have to wonder if I inherited any of Granville’s courage. At a current or former gathering of the Granville Cannon clan, you might notice a State Senator, a college dean, a hair stylist, or a lawyer. Who will you find at the gathering of your clan? How can you honor those living and deceased who have contributed to making you who you are today? Water and nourish the roots of your family tree for a solid trunk and a proliferation of branches. Maybe one of the flowers on that beautiful tree will be you. And one day you will become the root that feeds your great-great grandchild. ❁
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Ancestorial Holidays By Sophia Harmes, Ph.D.
Fall is the season when crops are harvested, sold at the market, and processed for family consumption throughout the year. This is also the time of year that many cultures celebrate and honor ancestors. We also remember ancestors in many of the activities we do regularly. My grandparents were Mennonite farmers who raised cattle and grew fields of grain and vegetables. In addition to these fields, my grandparents tended a household garden. My grandmother would process the vegetables she harvested by canning or freezing. She also processed fruits that were bought in
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bulk. She taught me these practices and processes as she told stories about our family and ancestors. During these times of preparation, we are reminded of our ancestors who guided and taught us how to complete these activities. This is just one example of how we can celebrate our ancestors. This is also the season in Western Countries that we remember and celebrate our Ancestors, especially from October 31 through November 2. Celebrations include Samhain, All Saint’s Day, Halloween, All Hallows Eve (a Christian Observance on the evening of All Saint’s Day), and All Soul’s Day. Other Ancestorial celebrations occurring around the world at different times include the Ghost Festival, Day of the Dead (Dia de Los Muertos), Turning of the Bones (Famadihana), and Fortnight of the Ancestors (Pitri Paksha), to name a few. These Ancestorial holidays involve feasts, rituals, celebrations, remembrance activities, and life lessons of charity and empathy. Many of these celebrations carry the responsibility of honoring the dead to be protected from ghostly harm.
Celebrating and Remembering Ancestors A variety of activities are practiced in remembrance of our ancestors by various cultures. In western European countries and America, we honor our ancestors on October 31 (traditionally All Hallows Eve), November 1 (All Saints Day),
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and November 2 (All Souls Day). Asian cultures conduct their remembrance festivities between August and October, depending on the year because they follow the lunar calendar. There are many similarities as well as many differences in how remembrances are celebrated in Asian countries. Each culture has its traditions and ways to remember its ancestors. For many cultures, celebrations and traditions of honoring ancestors revolve around religious and cultural beliefs. Some cultures believe that spirits of their ancestors live on after they have died and will return to visit the living during certain times of the year. Some cultures believe there is a connection between the two worlds of the living and the dead. Some cultures honor ancestors going back many generations while others may honor their ancestors in immediate generations.
Activities that Recognize Ancestors We celebrate our ancestors in numerous ways on a regular, if not, daily basis. Something simple may trigger the memory of a loved one that generates a smile. Planting a tree or flower garden is another way a loved one can be honored and remembered. Doing something in their memory such as donating to their favorite charity. We honor our ancestors when we learn about our family history. Learning about family history enables us to connect to those loved ones that came before us. Knowing our family history gives us a
sense of belonging and knowing where we have come from. Plus, it enhances the bonding experience with family members. A common way we honor our ancestors is during their funerals and presentation of eulogies and various ceremonies and rituals throughout our period of mourning. This is usually followed by a meal in celebration of the deceased person’s life. Family anniversaries such as the deceased’s birthday or the day they died can be a special event to honor them. Children may be named after a deceased loved one as
a way to honor that person. At weddings, a place setting and/or memorial table may be designated for remembering loved ones. The memorial table could display pictures or mementos of those relatives who have passed on before their marriage. Family prayers or personal meditation are other activities that can be done daily to honor and remember ancestors. Other activities include invoking memories of loved ones during family holidays, cultural holidays or religious holidays, or remembrances during memorial holidays, such as Memorial Day and Veterans Day.
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We can also remember our ancestors during cultural and religious rituals. Alters may be used to assist in the celebrations and worship of ancestors as a means to show deep respect for their life. Ancestors may be requested to provide guidance and assistance to the living. Cultures that engage in these activities provide security for ancestors in the afterlife. Some cultures honor ancestors of preceding generations for many days which is determined by cultural traditions.
Celebration of Ancestors throughout Asia The Hungry Ghost Festival. Ancestorial holidays and celebrations in Asia occur in August or September. The hungry ghost festival occurs in China in mid-August. The hungry ghost fest involves celebrating to appease the spirits of ancestors who are visiting for the ghost festival. The celebration is practiced by both Buddhists and Taoists. During this festival, it is customary to leave an assortment of offerings for ancestors. This can include food, cakes, and sweets. Festive paper money is burned for ancestors to spend in the afterlife. Papier- mâché clothes and other goods are also offered so ancestors have nice things in the afterlife. An abundance of food is prepared that includes elaborate meals enjoyed by the living. Usually, a place is set at the table for each deceased ancestor to include them in the festivities.
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Obon or Bon. The Japanese also celebrate a festival similar to the Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival that honors the spirits of their ancestors and their living families. This festival is called Obon or Bon. Bon festival involves honoring ancestors who come to visit household alters. The festival also involves the cleaning of graves of those ancestors. In addition to the activities described above, the Japanese also engage in a Bon dance. The contemporary Bon festival has developed into a family reunion where relatives get together to celebrate and perform rituals that assist ancestors in achieving freedom from any pain they may have experienced during life. Pchum Ben. In Cambodia, the festivities to honor their family and ancestors going back seven generations. Their celebration is called Pchum Ben. Family members gather in the towns where their ancestors once lived or are now buried. As part of the festivities, they remember their ancestors by throwing balls of rice. An abundance of food is prepared for the ancestors in heaven as well as for the celebration participants. Food is essential in this celebration because it provides nourishment for those attending the celebration as well as visiting spirits. The belief is that the food provides strength to the ancestors so that if they are visiting from hell, they may now have the strength to endure the suffering once they return. Turning of the Bones. Another interesting celebration is called turning of the bones or Famadihana which is celebrated in Madagascar. During this celebration
family members visit ancestorial crypts. They take the bones of their ancestors from their graves to incorporate them in the celebration of the dead. Following the ceremony, the bones are then wrapped. The festivities involve cleaning and refreshing the grave for the return of the ancestors’ bones. As bones are returned and placed into the crypt, family members conduct a dance in celebration and remembrance. Pitri Paksha. Pitri Paksha, also known as Fortnight of the Ancestors, is a 16-day celebration that honors ancestors from three generations. It is believed that these generations are in the realm between earth and heaven. The ceremony helps them to proceed to Heaven from the in-between realm. It is believed that these ancestors will provide the living family with wisdom, blessings, and wealth.
Ancestorial Celebrations in the Western World All Saints Day. Christian festivities fall on All Saints Day also known as All Hallows Day. These two celebrations originated from the Celtic festival of Samhain. All Saints Day honors all catholic saints and their sacrifices and deeds. In some cases, ancestors are included in this celebration. All Souls Day. All Souls Day is believed to be a construct by the church to replace the Celtic festival of Samhain. All Souls Day unlike All Saints Day requires visiting cemeteries of loved ones, praying for
ancestors, lighting candles in their memory, leaving treats and other food and offerings, and other rituals and ceremonies. All Souls Day is a common ancestorial celebration very popular in Mexico and other Latin American countries. It is referred to as the Day of the Dead. This celebration is based on the idea that our loved ones who have passed on are still near us. Therefore, they must be memorialized and celebrated each year. This cultural and religious celebration is recognized by the use of skulls and skeletons which are seen everywhere. Treats of sugar skulls represent life and death and how bittersweet both can be. Other types of treats and gifts, photographs, and tokens of remembrance are incorporated into the festivities. Samhain. The ancient celebration of Samhain is rooted in Celtic Paganism. The word Samhain is a Gaelic word that means summer’s end. It was celebrated to recognize the end of warmth and light as the harvest season ends. The ancient Celtic and Gaelic Festival of Samhain marks the Celtic New Year (November 1). It is celebrated in remembrance of the harvest, the beginning of the dark part of the year, a time for butchering and preserving livestock, and visiting the spirits of ancestors. It was a practice to open burial mounds during Samhain festivities so that the ancestors could easily pass into the other world. Costumes worn were made from animal skins and heads to protect against evil spirits. Offerings were given to help ensure that the living and their livestock would be able to survive throughout the winter. Food and offerings
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are presented to the spirits and the gods through rites and rituals. Performing rites and rituals were seen as a means of protecting the living from the spirits and other celestial visitors. During the festivities, bonfires were lit to protect the participants from unwanted visitors and entities from the afterlife. Each family took fire from the bonfire to light their hearths ensuring protection for the winter season. Halloween. Halloween has been transformed from the Christian celebration of All Hallows Eve occurring the evening before All Saints Day and Samhain, the Celtic New Year. Traditionally this is the night when the Celts believed that the veil between the living and the dead realms is thin. They believe it is the time to invoke the memory of ancestors and to allow their spirits to visit. Fortune telling is very common at this time since it is easier to connect with spirit guides.
Conclusion
These are just a few ways that ancestors are celebrated and recognized throughout the world. The celebrations discussed herein are not an exhaustive list. There are many other regions and cultures not discussed here that celebrate ancestors in some manner. Various cultures create a variety of activities, ceremonies, rituals, etc. to venerate their ancestors according to their culture and traditions. ❁ References: FaithGiant. June 14, 2022. All Saints Day: Meaning, History, and Facts. https://faithgiant.com/all-saints-day/ Famadihana: Madagascar’s Day of the Dead. https:// theculturetrip.com/africa/madagascar/articles/ famadihana-madagascars-day-of-the-dead/ Farmer’s Almanac. All Souls’ Day: Traditions, Legends, and Beliefs. https://farmersalmanac.com/all-souls-daytraditions-legends-and-beliefs Halloween 2021. https://www.history.com/topics/ halloween/history-of-halloween Jiang, Fercility. Hungry Ghost Festival. https://www. chinahighlights.com/festivals/hungry-ghost-festival.htm Pchum Ben Day. https://www.tourismcambodia.com/ tripplanner/events-in-cambodia/pchum-ben.htm Quan, Chris. Obon Festival – Japan’s Day of the Dead. https://www.asiahighlights.com/japan/obon The Significance of Pitru Paksha in the Hindu Calendar. https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/indiasignificance-ofpitru-paksha-55226.html
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Walking with Your Ancestors By Eagle Skyfire
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I am sitting on my balcony feeling the air shift from an oncoming storm. The strong, cool wind is a welcome respite from the sticky heat. I look up into the sky as I think about my father, who lost his battle against cancer less than a month ago on his journey to become an ancestor spirit. In Native American spirituality, when someone close to us crosses over, we grieve not being able to be with them anymore in the physical realm, while helping their soul on their journey back to the Great Spirit. Only the body dies. The soul is eternal for it is gifted to all beings by the Creator and it is part of a Dreamweave that makes up the Universe. As such. family of Heart also are called ancestors, although they may not always be blood relatives. We believe animal companions, too, have souls, and they become spirit companions, not ancestors. The journey across the Rainbow Bridge to become an ancestor takes one full year from the date of death. Honoring your ancestors is an important practice on the Good Red Road and brings many gifts. Below are just a few: The first is obvious, because when you connect with your loved ones, it assists in the process of healing from grief. Setting aside a place for a memorial lets you remember them and be in their energy. Over time, the initial profound pain from your loss fades. Yes, it will always hurt to some degree, but
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memories of happy times and significant moments fill the gap where once there was only sorrow. Over time, you become grateful for what you had, rather than sad for what you lost. From a spiritual standpoint these personal shrines bring another benefit. These places of remembrance radiate an inviting energy for your ancestors. It manifests a unique spirit portal that only they can pass through, and makes it easier for them to visit you. The joy and warmth you feel is not your imagination, but your loved ones reaching back to you! Another advantage from having a place of remembrance is that you can speak with them or ask them for guidance. They will respond to you by sending messages through various signs, visions, and dreams. Fortunately, your loved ones are patient for often times you may dismiss these messages and they have to send repeated signs for you finally to stop and listen. The more frequently you speak with them the easier it becomes to identify who is talking to you. You do this from recognizing their energy, and the signs and types of messages they send to you.
The final blessing is one of recounting stories about your ancestor, or stories that they liked to tell when they were alive. It feels good to share with others who care and can relate to your experiences. Cultivating a virtue that you admired in them is a very ancient practice of honoring their lives. It is way of having their energy and spirit live on through you. Say, for example, you have a loved one who was honest and caring. By developing these good qualities in yourself in their name you uphold their memory and their spirit.
They want to be with you and do not want to see you suffering and crying on their account. Whenever you smile as you tell a story about them or talk to them, it fills them with great joy. You always will walk together even though you are apart. Love is eternal. ❁
Traditional times of special remembrance are on the loved one’s spirit day, which is the day they crossed over and returned to their spirit body. The other is in the season of autumn during the Ancestors’ Moon. It takes place around the same time as the Dia de los Muertos is celebrated (a blending of Indigenous and Christian traditions).
any time you are
The truth is that any time you are called to connect, honor, or remember your deceased loved one is the perfect time. If you need assistance to move through your grief, seek help from someone who is trained to do so. Remember that your ancestors are whole and well on spirit side.
The truth is that called to connect,
honor, or remember your deceased
loved one is the perfect time.
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The Tale of Three Women By Amy Gillespie Dougherty
You said you were the first born? I hoped my eyes did not convey my doubt in her answer. I was reading the eyes of the woman in front of me, the daughter of a friend and her sister was in line just behind her. I had read their mom’s eyes a year earlier. Welcome to my world, the world of reading epigenetic patterns in the eyes. Many of you have heard of Iridology, which interprets health from the eyes, but my world is all about gifts, talents, in-utero experience, pre-conscious memory experiences (up to age 2-3), and unresolved traumas of our ancestors. Did I mention the images of ancestors also often appear in the eyes? Let us take a look at the world of these three women, having read all three of their eyes at holistic expos where I was doing Irigenics® Ancestral Eye Reading. Let us start with what was there when they were born and what they all three have in common… All three have the Achievement Ring – This is a very common aspect for Americans. The Achievement Ring is those crease lines at the outer part of the
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eye (that sometimes look like scratch marks and other times look like hillside terracing) – the people that have them typically score “Achievement” as one of their top five vocational skills on the Clifton Strengthsfinder 2.0 skills assessment. They all have a constant theme in their mind “Got to… have to… supposed to… I should do this… I need to do that…” From a positive perspective, these are people who are self-motivated and get the job done. They are also phenomenal at using a to-do list! From an opportunity perspective – these are people who have a lot of head chatter, and this is a self-whipping pattern. There is a lot of guilt in this internal dialogue, whereas a to-do list is just one word: and no emotion. Let us face it, any one of us could say a hundred times, “I should go to the gym” and even beat ourselves up about not doing it, and still never go to the gym.
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My advice: Give up the head chatter. Put it on your to do list and do it. Interesting… All three women have marks in their left eyes for rebelling against stoic religious ideals and cultural ideals of their times. These ladies are here to break the mold of modern society and old patterns that have been handed down from their ancestors. In their ancestors’ times, this was the old ideals of “Everybody knows… and What would they say?”
These ladies are here to break those molds of “Kings can’t marry commoners; nice girls don’t wear red lipstick…or get tattoos.” They all three had indicators for an old pattern of their ancestors struggling with a patriarch figure. In their ancestor’s time, this could have been king over commoner or landlord over tenant. In their current world this would show up as “No matter what I do, it’s not good enough… for that man!” They equally had markings in sibling rivalry with brothers, but this was their ancestor’s pattern of a male-competitive environment, so it can show up in business or identity rivalry, competitive
sports or board games, or academic rivalry. This common marking between the three of them makes me look to their left eyes to see if I see the same pattern for sisters, mom, and a competitive female environment. If it is there – it will be showing me, they have challenges in Altruism (giving what was not asked for) and it will show me that sometime in their past two to four generations, someone was placed for adoption or re-homed, and they were old enough to know it. Yep – it is there – In fact, in the oldest daughter’s eye, it was the strongest example – which makes perfect sense as
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The dynamics of their ancestor’s experience will repeat in their eyes…and in their life. the oldest girl is always in a competitive position with Mom. The oldest typically bonds with Dad and grows up seeing Mom’s shortcomings. Keep in mind I had questioned her birth order as her body build did not match that of a first-born girl (from the father). While she was the first born, there had been a miscarriage before her, which was why she had stronger shoulders and grew up more of a Tomboy – (her body build, and personality matched that of the second born after a first-born boy). Interesting enough, both daughters had the strongest markings in altruism (giving that which was not asked for) and that reveals an unresolved trauma in this aspect. For those with this indicator, they have either had repeat patterns in doing something that was unappreciated or just went wrong. They will quickly tell you they have heard “Well, [their name], I didn’t ask you to do that!” or they have done something for someone that just went wrong, such as washing someone’s clothes and their favorite sweater comes out baby sized. The dynamics of their ancestor’s experience will repeat in their eyes…
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and in their life. Often times, those with this marking in altruism will go through having to give up a beloved cat or dog (especially as a child), when the experience would leave a strong emotional imprint. This is the repeating of the dynamic of the ancestor who had to give up a beloved child. While Mom had the strongest markings in identity and escape, the marking was also present in the two daughters. This is where the ancestors had traumas related to having to escape due to factors of their identity, such as being declared “Jewish” in Nazi Germany or identified as being “gypsy” in certain times and areas of Europe. This is where the label was the problem. It can even reflect aspects of being mislabeled or mis-identified. If you know somebody who is constantly being “hacked” on Facebook, it is likely they have this marking, and this is how the pattern is showing up in today’s world. These markings were all here when each of these women was first born, telling us these are patterns that are available for healing during this lifetime – or resolving. It tells us that sometime, from
their grandparent’s to their grandparent’s grandparents time, this incident caused a trauma. When it comes up in their current life, their emotional and visceral response to the incident will determine if it will reimprint for future generations. If there is no emotional response, it indicates the pattern is healed and no longer causes drama and trauma. Therefore, it will not create that emotional charge associated with the situation. All three women also had a marking in their left eyes for a “direct run-in” with the church. This is where their ancestors found themselves accused: “You _______!” (For example: “Pagan! Witch! You cannot marry that man! Or Keep that Baby!”
In their current life, they likely had a run-in with family or those who uphold cultural ideals such as nuns, teachers, priests, ministers over some part of their life that was on the unapproved list. Their accusation may have been over a tattoo, friend, boyfriend, job choice, or other aspect of how they lived that was in question. The eyes are a sacred ancestral map. Segments of our ancestors and their stories can be seen in our eyes. Having read a mother and two daughters offered a unique opportunity to see their ancestral map. ❁
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The Ten of Pentacles: WHERE DO YOU FIND YOUR SECURITY
by Mary K. Mannix of Tarot Is More Than Cards
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F
amily members can appear anywhere in the tarot. They are perhaps most easy to identify in the court cards.
some of the most influential, and at times troubling, people in our lives, can enter a reading in many places. There are two cards, however, in a deck that can easily represent the concept of family, not individual family members. And, they do not have to just be our biological families. They can be the families that we create for ourselves. Family is family, the cards see no difference. These are the Ten of Pentacles and the Ten of Cups. Both minor arcana cards and both cards that contain feminine energy. And as tens they signify the energy of the suit at its most complete or extreme.
The court cards (the page, knight, queen, and king of each minor suite) often depict people. These cards are often obviously illustrated with people. In some tarot practices the different status of the members of the court represent people of a certain age or level of maturity. For example, pages are often interpretated as children or people young at heart. The Empress and Emperor of the Major Arcana are the mommy and daddy of the deck and can represent mother and father figures. Individual family members, as
The Ten of Cups is even often nicknamed the “happy family card.” It generally depicts a nuclear family. In genealogical terms, this is the family that would appear on a “family group sheet,” as compared to a pedigree chart that would take us back several generations. The Ten of Pentacles, on the other hand, addresses a multigenerational family. This card can appear in a reading to signify genealogy, family history, certain types of therapy, or other ancestor work. The Ten of Pentacles reaches back tying us to those who came before.
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The Ten of Pentacles in the iconic Rider– Waite–Smith (RWS) deck shows an elderly man, an adult man and woman, a child, and two dogs. They all are within what appears to be a solid structure, an estate of multiple rooms and buildings. These are prosperous people. They want for naught. More importantly, they know who they are and where they come from. A family crest adorns the cloak of the old man and faces out. Ten of Pentacles that are clones of the RWS – cards that take inspiration from the symbolism of the deck drawn by Pamela Coleman Smith – will show some type of multigenerational family, often include pets, and a solid physical home, it is pentacles after all. Pentacles stand for the element of earth. Pentacles deals with this plain, the things we can touch and feel, the material world. And, can, of course, deal with actual pentacles, coins, cold hard cash. The Ten of Pantacles can signify family wealth, an inheritance, a strong retirement system, a good saving account. But pentacles are more than just money and we inherit more than bank accounts. Pentacles is everything that makes us feel secure. Reverse can be family “baggage.” The Ten of Pentacles from the Ellis Deck, shown here with permission, takes the meaning of a sturdy home even broader and depicts a community. It takes a village. As we travel from the front of the card to the back, we move from the relationship
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between a child and parent, in this instance a boar and its offspring, to a variety of people doing a variety of things. They are people not boars, so they are not blood relatives. Two large trees, trees that most have deep roots, bookend the scene. Ten pentacles are scattered throughout. While the boar presents a pentacle to the baby, he is providing them with something that will help them sustain their life. But our needs are many and other beings, be they boars or people, also provide substance. It is not just the living who nourish us and give us roots. Things to consider when you pull the Ten of Pentacles is who is your family or families. What story do they tell you? Our ancestors are all around us, they impact the life choices we make, they
P
entacles is everything that makes us feel secure. Reverse can be family “baggage.” can ever impact our health. How do your ancestors impact the various pentacle issues of your life? Do you want to develop a better relationship with your family? Do you want to understand your ancestors, blood or otherwise? Channel the Ten of Pentacles. Do pentacles types of things – cook using family recipes, visit cemeteries, make family memories, plant a tree. And write a pedigree chart, track not only your biological or adoptive family, but create a chart for all the ancestors in your life, your
mentors, or those who came before in your field of study. Who in the past, people you have known or simply people you admired, have provided you with security? Think about the people whose paths you are following? Who helped you to create the strong rooms in your internal life? Who are your ancestors and how do you honor them? And what role do you play in the village? ❁
❁
Tarot
Is More Than Cards Intuitive Tarot Readings by Mary Mannix
Schedule a reading today: tarotismore thancards@gmail.c om 3 01-26 6-3229
Discover yourself • Work with your ancestors tarotismore thancards.c om
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CONNECTING TO YOUR SOUL’S ETERNAL LIFE BOOK Dr. Moon Eir, CCH, The Divine Medium IF YOU COULD STEP OUTSIDE YOUR BODY INTO THE ASTRAL PLANE OF EXISTENCE AND TAKE A QUICK GLANCE BEHIND YOU, YOU WOULD WITNESS A LONG LINE OF SOULS WHO HAVE COME BEFORE YOU. Learned before you. Experienced before you. With each soul, an addition of wisdom is added to that lineage. As spirits, we must look forward to our own path of growth and wisdom but sometimes, when that path becomes cloudy or confused, we can tap back into the energy that follows us through lifetimes. Energy that holds activated wisdom we can intuitively call upon when needed. This insightful energy is called Ancestral Reciprocation. A term I coined in 2015 while working with the Ancestral Archives within the Hall of Records of Heaven.
A cosmic repository of endless experiences made by all the souls who dare venture away from Source Love. This celestial information center holds every word spoken, every thought contemplated, every action taken, and every emotion felt (good or bad). This library of frequency records carries all past, present, and future journeys each soul has made throughout the infinite timelines of learning. The galactic library has many ‘staff members’ from Angels guarding the energy that resides here to Spirit Guides buzzing around accessing records for the receiving party or what is called the Primary Anthologist Retainer. Another term I coined a few months later while experiencing these ‘staff members’ for myself. The Primary Retainer is a contracted unique individual who has been granted access to the records while living a life in another plane of existence… like Earth. This is when you FALL 2022 | 59
hear the term Akashic Reader or someone who can read the Akashic Records. Not everyone resonates with this type of frequency or this particular assignment to the Soul’s Contract of Life. Some may find obstacles while trying to connect to the Cosmic Library where they find nothing seems to click or connect. You experience roadblocks like these when attempting to access a sacred area that has not granted your involvement. When this happens, it is quite accurate to say that there is another energetic modality that is best suited for your life path of learning or resonates with you in a better way. When encountering roadblocks, this is usually a realization that you do not hold the access ‘code’ to enter this area and that your gifts are more important and useful elsewhere. Understand this energy and allow yourself to experience what you
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are meant to do with your true mission. Forcing the knowledge to come to you will only create vibrations of frustration and anger which dim your life force of healing others, as well as yourself. Upon approaching this Temple of Knowledge, you immediately take in the vastness of its grander. Scrolls upon scrolls line the ancient walls of this sacred space. Smooth leather hide skin journals retain volumes of text of adventures, encounters, events, and incidents that have occurred over countless time. The scrolls carry more of the ancient expertise of wisdom while the grand leather editions hold more recent knowledge. As you walk this sacred realm, you can feel the connection to each and every person. Even gaining insight to how the vibration of experiences manifests through to their
dreams and inspire their soul to review past lives or visit past loved ones. The data they hold can even affect the here and now. When a receptive client comes to me for this particular soul connection, the question I am always presented with is, “Who am I?” This question is acknowledged in many immeasurable ways when I enter the Hall and obtain this information from the client’s life book as the soul chooses each experience specifically to meet his or her own needs of growth through the spiritual journey of learning they take. By taking on a life, that soul gains a personal awareness and the expertise in identifying their own self-identity and the vibration of what makes them… THEM. The choices and
decisions that soul makes, with their involvement in a life, creates the life experiences they now endure. When I am asked how one can obtain knowledge on their own without the sacred gift of being a Primary Retainer, I quickly suggest a specific crystal that helps assist in this sacred connection so that the Akashic Seekers of the world may obtain some insight into the questions they long to know. This master interpretive interface crystal is known as the Record Keeper Quartz. This powerful stone will work closely with your consciousness in conjunction with the Akashic database by accessing the vast records of information. The small embossed upright triangles that can be seen upon the surface of these crystals focuses on gathering small clues
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that are then sent in snippets to your mind by your assisted spirit team. In so many words… you ask a question; our very smart crystal friend runs to obtain the answers and then it reports back to your guided team who then provide the feedback you seek through telepathic communication. How very cool is that? To access the dynamic transcripts with the Record Keeper Quartz at your side, all one must do is simply hold one in your hand and empty out your own personal thoughts within your mind. Breathing in a calm, relaxing manner, present the question you seek. Allow all your visions, thoughts, and physical sensations penetrate through without judgement or over-analyzation. It is so very important to stay calm and go with the flow of vibration this crystal presents to you. The Record Keepers have been known to activate dormant skills and abilities such as clairvoyance, clairaudience, and one’s own intuition. For this reason, these crystals are highly sought off after. They are successfully beneficial when used in meditation to enhance past life work and healing past life trauma. Simply place upon the Third Eye to facilitate this particular connection and healing.
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When in pursuit of a journey to clear negative energy from ancestral bloodlines and going on astral traveling adventures through different lifetimes, place over the chakra that contains this energetic blockage. The stagnant energy around this barrier will then be released, unclogged, and the healing strengthened. Mentally walk towards this revered location with respectful, inquisitive curiosity. This kind of intent to know more about who you are through the vibration of your life book can then be welcomed and accessed. If any frequency of your life memoirs is attained, this is a good sign that your soul has excelled access to the spiritual growth of this newfound way of retrieving your soul’s memories which can provide considerable healing and enlightenment, as well as wisdom and self-development. You may not be able to access the full amount of each and every page available to you, like you would in the afterlife or like you could as a Primary Anthologist Retainer but with the support of your Spirit Guides, you can affectively achieve knowledge not otherwise known before which can undeniably help your life path in some way or another and most defiantly with the help of a Record Keeper Quartz in your crystal arsenal. ❁
HOW I HONORED MY ANCESTORS WITH
My Wonderfully Mysterious Ceiling Fan By Aurelia Spencer
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OKAY PLEASE ALLOW ME TO FIRST START WITH THE BACKSTORY: My dear mother passed away in October of 2018. At that time, I was in the middle of updating all of the lights in my house. The project resumed that November and included adding a ceiling fan in my bedroom. Soon after the ceiling fan was installed, it started turning on by itself. And, not just turning on, but the light would turn on at its brightest setting and the fan would start up at top speed! This was happening at all times of the night, waking me up out of my sleep. I thought, “Hmmm…I really need to call the electrician to fix this. This is not normal!” It was only after watching a psychic medium on TV that I realized that spirits can turn on the lights. Because of the close timing to my mother’s passing, I knew it was her! From what I learned from the TV psychic medium, I was able to assist my dear mother with going toward “the light,” and the ceiling fan issue ended.
THEN OVER THE FOLLOWING MONTHS THAT EVENTUALLY TURNED INTO YEARS:
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The ceiling fan started up again. UGH!!!! Somehow, I knew it was not my dear mother again. But, who was it??? I sought out the advice of various spiritualists and came to the realization that I had other ancestors who were seeking my help. Wow!!! That was a heavy realization. What did they expect me to do for them? And, how in the world would I be able to communicate with them? I then allowed myself to open up to them and actually began to develop a very strange and beautiful relationship with my ancestors…and the ceiling fan! They would turn on my ceiling fan, and I would try to make contact with them. I came to learn that my ancestors needed healing, and I did too! First of all, I discovered that I had the gift of intuitive writing. It was through intuitive writing that I began to fill up notebook after notebook of beautiful messages of love; heart-breaking stories of abuse, slavery, and misfortune; and heart-wrenching requests from my ancestors for forgiveness…forgiveness for things they did in life, forgiveness for how they treated other family members, forgiveness for how they treated me, and on and on… Many times, I was emotionally drained but came to such a deep understanding of the trials and the triumphs of what makes my family my own unique and imperfectly perfect family – evidenced by the fact that I am here! As I continued to sit with the ancestors who came forward and continued to facilitate the forgiveness
process, my ancestors stopped turning on the ceiling fan. A great-grandmother who had not ever come to me told me that the ancestors thanked me, that the bloodline has been healed of addiction and abuse, and that we will go forth healed!
NOW, FAST FORWARD TO THE PRESENT:
My ancestors needed me, and I needed my ancestors! I am so thankful for my dear mother who tried whatever way she could to communicate with me. I am also thankful for all of my other beautiful ancestors who showed me true forgiveness and ascension. And, yes, I am thankful for my wonderfully, mysterious ceiling fan! ❁
Healing and growth are evidenced by the changes I now see within my own family. We are now generally more open to sincere communication and to LOVE! I am now clairaudient. I am now an energy healer. I am now an intuitive who reads Akashic records.
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13 Journal Prompts FOR WORKING WITH YOUR ANCESTORS By Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman
I have always chatted with my ancestors. It never seemed out of the ordinary. Growing up, I just always assumed it was because I would become the family genealogist. Are you interested in working with your ancestors? Try these 13 prompts to get you started:
Let’s start with your name. Why did your parents give you that name? What does it mean? Do you still go by it? Write about your father. Write about your mother. Think about the house you grew up in. Describe it. Write about you paternal grandparents. Write about your maternal grandparents. Think back to a holiday spent with your family. Describe it. Who was there? Which holiday? What did you do that day? How did your parents / grandparents meet? Siblings are an important part of our families. Write about your siblings. Your parents’. Your grandparents’.
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What is your job? What did your parents do/ Your grandparents? Read an ancestors’ obituary. It can be any family member. What information does it provide? What did you learn, if anything? What questions do you now have? Consider your surname (or another family name). Do you know its origins? What is its geographical locations? Finally, what is one thing you would most like to know about your ancestors.
Remember your journal is your safe place. Release your worries and cares. Self-cleansing requires you in part to let it go. Release that which no longer serves you. Release that which is harmful to you. Release that which drags you down. Release and let it go.
Ancestral Passages Genealogy, Genealogist, Ancestry Search
Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman is a Seeker of Ancestors, yours & hers. A Resource Goddess, she can help you connect to your ancestors and walk your Ancestral Passage. learn more at ancestralpassages.com
twitter @GenealogicalGem | facebook @AncestralPassages
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The Ancient Science of Jyotisha By Gita Rash
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Not many people are aware of a very ancient science of astrology called Jyotisha or the light. I wanted to take the opportunity of honoring my ancestors by throwing some light on this science of light. All of us have at some point checked out our star scopes either in magazines at the grocery store or online. There is an innate curiosity about the future, our luck, and generally what we can look forward to. The impact of celestial objects on terrestrial beings has been a subject of discussion since ancient times. There are just as many different versions of astrology as well, like the Babylonian, Hellenistic, Persian, Islamic, although most everyone is familiar with the standard Western astrology based on the position of the sun at the time of birth which determines your sun sign. Western astrology is based on the tropical calendar,
and the four seasons, and on the fixed position of planets. Vedic astrology is based on the sidereal system which considers the changing, movable constellations, which provide more detailed information. For instance, in addition to square, trines, sextiles and other aspects found in western tropical astrology, Vedic astrology has additional aspects, which highlight each planetary effect on the individual. As a psychic medium, I often get asked, “What is my purpose in life” or “Why am I here” Vedic Astrology provides the appropriate answer, describing the life purpose and the desire which determines one’s life path. This is the beauty of this science, where you get the answers, you are seeking about your higher purpose, which helps tremendously not only to understand oneself but also others and the complex relationships that bind people to each other. Reaching an understanding of one’s purpose is an epiphanous moment, when everything falls
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into place like a jigsaw puzzle, and makes more sense with the clarity achieved. What kind of personality we have brought forth as the karmic inheritance of our past lives is seen through the planetary positions? This enlightening information helps us in our life going forward, as we can discern our actions and activities, even modify things that need to be. The rising sign or ascendant is more significant in Vedic astrology than the sun sign. With its origins in the Vedas, dating back to 10,000 B.C. Vedic Astrology is based on the belief that a person ‘s karma is reflected in the position and influence of the planets, and this
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principle makes an individual’s natal chart unique. Everyone is subject to the control of time and its machinations. Prominent events in the life of an individual are governed by the position, transit, and movement of planets in different cycles or periods of the life span. Over a period of 120 years, the seven planets, and the nodes of the moon, north, called Rahu and south, called Ketu, are given a specific duration of seven, sixteen and so on years, called dashas. While going through a 16-year Jupiter dasha or cycle, the individual may feel a heavy influence of the planet directing various aspects
of his life. The houses in the natal chart are divided into four main principles of Dharma, (duty) Artha, (material) Kama(pleasure) and Moksha(enlightenment). Dharma can be understood as duty or purpose in life. Artha stands for acquisition of material wealth or resources, Kama is desire or pleasure, and moksha is the final attainment of enlightenment. Accordingly, there are three houses each representing the four mentioned elements. The strength of the planets and their positive or negative effects are also influenced by the association, conjunction, and aspects of other planets. The overall planetary transit determines the future of the native, events and circumstances that are favorable or otherwise. To quote from the ancient text The Bhagvad Gita, explaining the principle of reincarnation, “The soul leaves the old body, and enters a new body in the same way as a man puts on new clothes and leaves his old clothes.” There is a link between the past life and the present one, a relationship which is subtle, yet powerful and shapes events on our life based on
past deeds or Karma (cause and effect). We do have free will to make choices and decisions in life. However, destiny plays a key role in determining many events in our lives. Some of these pre-determined events can be seen in the horoscope. Knowledge of astrology comes into play here, the astrologer can hone-in and pin-point momentous events in the querent’s life, as well as future events that are likely to take place. Events such as relocation, marriage, health crisis etc. Even the timing of events such as marriage can be calculated based on the position of the planets in houses and the transits. An interesting component of this science is synastry or the matching of two different charts to ascertain compatibility. Marriages in traditional Hindu families are almost never arranged before the matching of the horoscopes of the bride and groom. In the case of a couple wanting to get married, the natal charts are evaluated on a point-based system to judge the future compatibility of the couple. There is a specific number that needs to be met for a successful union. Sometimes, the outcome of this kind of synastry calculation for marital compatibility can result
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in a cancelation of the marriage. Even today, in many countries like India, this system is considered of primary importance in determining the success of the marriage. In fact, according to tradition, the wedding date is not set until the astrologer is consulted. The exact date and time of the nuptials is also determined according to an auspicious time based on planetary positions. The moon plays a primary role in auspicious activities. Ceremonies are never performed when the moon is waning. Even a ceremony of the last rites of a funeral are arranged according to the harmonious transit of planets for the dead soul to have a peaceful exit. Predictive astrology uses divisional charts, yearly or annual calculators, taking into consideration all factors presented. This is a complex method, requiring concentration, focus and a deep knowledge. Fortunately, technology has made it super convenient for us, so we do not have to tax our brains and mathematically calculate like our ancestors did. The dynamic configuration of the Vedic chart includes the influence of constellations called “Nakshatras”
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or Lunar mansions. Numbering twenty-seven, the Nakshatras are related to popular asterisms along the ecliptic sector, (each 13 degrees 20 minutes). As one of the most significant components in Vedic Astrology, as well as being unique, these Nakshatras are formed when the 360 division of the sky is divided. The ancient Hindu sages further sub-divided the Nakshatras into four steps called “Padas” comprising 3 degrees and 20 minutes. Qualities and descriptions are associated by classifying all twenty-seven into three broad groups, Deva (divine) Manushya (human) and Rakshasa (demonic). The details of each step, mansion and their associated zodiac sign provide deeply profound insights about the querent, his or her proclivities, possibilities, probabilities and much more. A study of this fascinating science is vast and exhaustive. It could take many lifetimes to master Vedic astrology, since there are separate charts called divisional charts for profession, success, health, fortune, and so on numbering over a hundred. Everything must be evaluated to give an overall
reading. The calculations are complex and mind boggling. Fortunately, computerized programs have made it easy and more convenient to generate the various charts. Although time consuming, the detail and accuracy of the information makes the study of Vedic astrology rewarding. Knowing oneself, developing and understanding oneself are powerful tools to manage the ship called Life. By realizing your proclivities, potentialities, possibilities and destiny, your level of growth and awareness is limitless. ❁
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BOOK THYME
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BOOK THYME
NEWS:
All The Ways Our Dead Still Speak MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Death is omnipresent in our collective line of vision these days—between babies dying in Ukraine and loved ones dying due to COVID-19, many are contemplating questions of death, suffering, and the afterlife. And are hungry for hope and comfort. In All The Ways Our Dead Still Speak: A Funeral Director on Life, Death, and the Hereafter, sixth-generation funeral director and author of the critically acclaimed and award-winning Confessions of a Funeral Director, Caleb Wilde takes readers on a lyrical, tender quest to encounter life after death as he picks up bodies and meets with grieving families in a small town in Pennsylvania. In an interview in Publishers Weekly, Caleb comments: “In my mind, progressive spirituality is not dualistic...There is a blending here, a liminal space. By speaking to the ghosts of the past, we are able to say our peace with them and move forward. We can look at the narratives we were born to, and we can change them.”
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Wilde's relatable voice and knack for storytelling engage readers in a smart, accessible view of the afterlife that embraces more expansive perspectives beyond body-soul dualism, honoring non-Western understandings of mourning. In addition to his soul searching and death work, Caleb Wilde found space to reflect on death and life and has been featured in top media outlets including The Atlantic, Time, the Washington Post, Salon, Forbes, NPR, NBC, ABC’s 20/20, and Vice. He has a master’s degree in theology and is pursuing a doctorate in theology. Wilde and his family live in Parkesburg, PA, where he is part of his family’s funeral home business. ❁
Broadleaf Books 2022 ISBN 978-1506471617 Hardcover | 208 pp
BOOK THYME
NEWS:
Brave Healer Productions Releases Third Book in The Ancestors Within Series BETHESDA, MD (PRNewswire) — Brave Healer Productions has released the third book in The Ancestors Within series: Recognize and Embrace the Gifts of Your Origins. The first two volumes were Amazon best-sellers in several categories. All the volumes are available in print and eBook formats. The Ancestors Within The first book, subtitled Reveal and Heal the Ancient Memories You Carry, emphasized the repeat patterns that show up in your life and how they have ancestral ties, which can be resolved. Discover and Connect with Your Ancient Origins, the second book, focused on unique ways to connect with your ancestors, and even to create interactive experiences with them. Recognize and Embrace the Gifts of Your Origins invites readers to explore the gifts they hold within them and develop and teach others their unique inherent skills. In the new book's dedication, lead author Amy Gillespie Dougherty says it is for people who have wondered "who are my ancestors and what was their life like? How can I learn more about them? It is for those who pour over records, maps, newspapers, and microfiche, travel the world, tested
their DNA, watch documentaries, read books and stare into the mirror in search of themselves. Today is the day you discover that your ancestors are alive within you, their memories, gifts, interest, skills and abilities." Also contributing to the book are Amanda DeCarlo, Frank Byrum, Donald R. Dodson Jr., Misa Hopkins, Elizabeth R Kipp, Megan Reilly Koepsell, Cyndie Kramer, Dottie Lamoureux, Rosemary Levesque, Laura Mazzotta, Tanio McCallum, Elizabeth McCain, Carolyn McGee, Arielle Jones, Bernadette Pleasant, Crystal Rasmussen, Marcia Colver Reichert, Lisa M. Saxton, Jill Sonnek, Star Studonivic, Katie Sutton, Ariann Thomas, Aundrea D. Veney, Jasmine Wallace and Shelly Raggl Young. Among the 25 chapters are looks at accessing intuition, finding the answers to prayers, contacting soul guides for guidance, and tapping the wisdom of your inner child. Praise for The Ancestors Within: Recognize and Embrace the Gifts of Your Origins "Through each of these captivating personal short stories, the authors share ways in which they've connected with themselves and their ancestors, and ultimately, how they have transformed their lives. It's more of a journey than a book!" — Sakura
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BOOK THYME offers are potent gifts designed to support and empower us in the now, bridge the gap between generations. Whether you want to unlock the gifts of your ancestors, understand your heritage or just connect with their legacy that lies within your very being, this book is a hugely valuable resource." — JJ Stenhouse, The Practical Alchemist, coach. radio host. Magazine editor, speaker, writer. ❁
Sutter, intuitive medium, spiritual hypnotherapist, radio host of Love From the Hyp "Past and present merge magically in The Ancestors Within. It's a sumptuous treasure trove, full of sublime stories and wonderful wisdom that take the reader on an immersive experience, as deep as our ancestral lines themselves. The tools that each expert contributor generously
NEWS:
Art of Tea by Steve Schwartz Steve Schwartz is the founder and CEO of The Art of Tea and master blender who is passionate about promoting good health (both mentally and physically) through his artisanal tea blends. With a background in Ayurveda from the Ayurvedic Institute in New Mexico, Steve crafts award-winning teas that showcase his passion for the alchemy of blending. One of the underlying philosophies of Ayurveda is that we must be aware and cognizant about what we put into our bodies and how nutrition transforms itself into energy. Botanicals can help address and alleviate imbalances thanks to the human body’s incredible ability to alchemize, and Steve’s new book, appropriately named The Art of Tea releases April 26th which
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sheds light on healing through botanical consumption. Steve has traveled the globe to cultivate long-lasting relationships with farmers and source the highest quality of ingredients, and is a globally recognized leader for building an impact-driven culture through tea. Available online and in stores at participating retailers. Editor’s Note: With his and his publisher’s permission, we have included a couple of the recipes appearing in his book. If you enjoy tea, this book is a must read. ❁ Lioncrest Publishing, 2022 ISBN: 978-1544527765 218 pp
BOOK THYME
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CONTRIBUTORS
AMY GILLESPIE DOUGHERTY Amy Gillespie Dougherty, author of Six Years in Mozambique and the Lost Scribe, created Irigenics™ Ancestral Eye Reading as a survival skill for at-risk youth, adoptees, and autistic individuals who were struggling with self-esteem and suicidal patterns. Now she teaches holistic entrepreneurs this unique tool, to go from being one of many to being THE ONE who can guide their clients to unravel the ancestral aspects of their story. For more information, visit: illuminationStation.org or irigenics.com❁
DR. MOON EIR, CHH Moon Eir is known to thousands as the spiritual galactic walk-in communicator who arrived from Heaven in a car accident with messages for humanity. She is also known as a
“world renowned” modern day Prophet, Shaman, and Healer who uses a specific sensitive, healing approach to delivering these messages from the other side. In the years she's been doing this work/mission, she finds that many who are of 'walk in' energy have been brought to her for help in understanding what has happened to them and why. She feels blessed to be able to help these lightworkers and galactic workers get back on course! Moon has just recently acquired many credentials that which deem her as a Crystal and Sound Therapist. This path has led her to opening the first Metaphysical Spa in Johnstown, PA. Not to mention her Crystal Shop is also the very first shop this town has experienced. Her shops are teaching facilities and by going LIVE on Facebook with her readings (with permission from the client of course) and teaching LIVE on Facebook, she allows thousands to witness how spirit connects and how to properly see what you are meant to learn from this world.
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CONTRIBUTORS
Her clients are family to her and if you ask any one of them, which she encourages you to, they will admit to this method. Moon recently became an Executive Producer for Creative Laughter Productions and not only has her own TV Show in the works, but this path had allowed her to broaden her search in helping children who need mentoring with their gift(s). Over six years ago, she created the "Mystic Healer School" which is a global training academy that mentors and teaches gifted kids to take hold of their missions by exploring their gifts fully. She is deemed by thousands as a modern-day prophet who is committed to aiding humanity to do better and adjust their paths to the greater good of man. This mission is fueled by love, grace, and a desire to make sure that the messages she returned to Earth with in 2009 are heard by thousands. Many seek her assistance, especially law enforcement, with homicide cases, cold cases, missing person cases, lost/stolen animal cases where she consults with law enforcement and families in the search for answers. She is what the spirit world calls a "tracker." This simply means she is able to track the last steps a soul took before going missing. She is the ONLY Spirit Communicator in the world known to communicate with ICU coma patients, since her gift consists of communicating with the living and the dead. She prides herself on integrity, honor, truth, and love which shine through when she connects to a Soul’s Spirit. As the receiver of the messages given, she is able to authentically 82 Therapeutic Thymes Magazine
bring you into conversation with your loved one once again and also be able to describe what they are doing now on their soul journey since their passing since she was able to retain all the images and experiences upon her arrival back from crossing over from our true home to this world we are now learning from.❁ SOPHIA HARMES, PH.D. Sophia Harmes is the owner and operator of Terram Olei, LLC and terramoleiwellness.com. Her business provides information, guidance, and holistic health services such as Reiki, Chakra Balancing, Energy Healing and Access Conscious Bars. She has a PhD. In Energy and Environmental Policy from the University of Delaware. Sophia has been in business since 2014 selling alternative health and wellness products and services.❁ DANA JEFFERSON, C.HT., PH.D., SPHR Dana Jefferson has a private practice at the Natural Connection Wellness Center in Huntingdon, PA where she is President of the Huntingdon Health and Wellness Association. She is a certified hypnotherapist and honors graduate of the Hypnosis Motivation Institute. Dana is a member of the American Hypnosis Association and Hypnotherapy Union Local 472.
CONTRIBUTORS
Dana is retired from her work at the University of Massachusetts Boston and as the Director of Human Resource (HR) Management for the state of Delaware. She has a Ph.D. in Psychology, is certified in conflict resolution, and is a Covey Principle-Centered Leadership Facilitator. Dana has taught psychology and HR management at the University of Delaware. Dana has had the opportunity to train with many gifted spiritual leaders including: Michael Harner, Ph.D., Sandra Harner, Ph.D., Larry Peters, Ph.D., Tom Cowan, Serge King, Ed “Two Moons” Rothwell, Jane Ely, Kay Cordell Whitaker, John Perkins, Sandra Ingerman, Geo Cameron, Doña Bernadette Vigil, Nicki Scully, and Angaangaq Angakkorsuaq. Dana is an ordained interfaith minister. Dana is a Reiki Master in two traditions and graduate level Feng Shui practitioner. She is a graduate of the Foundation for Shamanic Studies Three-Year Program of Advanced Initiations in Shamanism and Shamanic Healing and a three-year apprenticeship with the Buffalo Trace Society (including a vision quest). She has completed coursework in Harner Method Shamanic Counseling and advanced studies in Celtic, Toltec, and Tibetan Shamanism including studies in foreign countries. Dana worked with women’s groups for over 20 years including conducting weekend retreats and Croning ceremonies. She is a member of Red Tents in Every Neighborhood Global Network and has trained in Purple Tents. Additional
advanced hypnotherapy certifications incudling Smoking Cessation, Weight Loss, Pain Management, and Past Live Regression provide a comprehensive toolkit of services to Dana’s clients. ❁
CHUCK KRUSE Chuck Kruse has lived in the woods in Alaska, worked as a deckhand on a freighter, done logging in the Pacific Northwest and North Pennsylvania, owned a residential tree service, and programmed computers for major hospitals. Through it all he has studied and practiced herbalism which he finds fascinating. He can be contacted at woodsman98@gmail.com. ❁
MARY K. MANNIX Mary K. Mannix, of Tarot Is More Than Cards, has been a professional tarot card reader and educator since 2013. A librarian and historian in her other life, Mary strives to not only interpret the cards during a reading, but to also help folks understand the history and symbolism of the cards they are dealt. Mary loves the cards and wants other people to experience that love, too. She can be found via her website at tarotismorethancards.com and heard at youtu.be/XKCt9KezxUo. ❁
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CONTRIBUTORS
GITA RASH Gita Rash is a certified fitness instructor, artist, actor, author and psychic medium. For more than 15 years she has been teaching and training as a life coach in several modalities. Her publications include “The low-fat Indian cookbook” and the recently released “The Mahabharata Oracle”. Her mission in life is to educate, assist, and guide people on their journey. Connect with her at www.gitarash. com or www.gitaart.com. Her YouTube channel is at: youtube.com/channel/UCs_fFi5W_Di655cWhBm6Hw. She is gitarash on Instagram. ❁
JEANNE RUCZHAKECKMAN Jeanne is the heart, soul, and Publishing Editor of Therapeutic Thymes Magazine, bringing together people and resources in a therapeutic and natural manner. As publisher, she leads the editorial direction and manages the business operations. She has her degree in Mass Communication / Journalism from Lock Haven University as well as a Print Certificate in the Pennsylvania College of Art & Design’s Digital Design program. Jeanne shares her love of plants while working part time at a local nursery. She is a member of the Conestoga Herb Guild
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locally. Through Therapeutic Thymes, she has joined and supports the Herb Society of America (HAS), the Holistic Chamber of Commerce (HCC), and United Plant Savers (UpS). In her downtime, she is a genealogist, seeking Ancestors, hers, and yours. She has authored various articles pertaining to genealogy. ❁
EAGLE SKYFIRE Eagle Skyfire is a Native American shaman, seer, tradition keeper, reader, and author. She has assisted many people to move through and recover from their sorrow. She also helps loved ones, including animal companions, to cross over peacefully by communicating with them (and you) and sending sacred
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energy. You can her contact her, arrange a reading, consult, mentoring and more through her website at eagleskyfire.com, Instagram or Facebook. She can visit her YouTube channel for videos on a variety of topics along with suggestions on how to empower yourself to a better life. ❁
AURELIA SPENCER Know thyself! Those are the words that put me on my path to enlightenment. Knowing who I truly am, why I am here at this time, and what I am supposed to be doing has led me to an abundant and fulfilling life! It is my purpose to assist others in reaching
an enlightened understanding of who they are at soul level, which includes identifying the blocks and restrictions that can hold you back from healing and flourishing in your purpose. What I offer is a unique opportunity to support the healing of your past and propel your present into an abundant life! For more information, visit her site at: enlightenedpath9.com. She can be reached at aurelia.enlightenedpath@gmail.com. ❁
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