Thursday 29 September 2011

Herbal Newsletters For You



Greetings Plant Lovers!

As many of you know I began releasing a weekly newsletter seven weeks ago. Since seven is my lucky number, ( I was born 7-7-75), I thought I'd take today to provide you with the links of the newsletters thus far. :) In order to not miss an issue, I invite you to sign up (in the right side bar) so you get yours delivered free right in your email box for your reading pleasure and herbal inspiration!

 (time sensitive newsletters not included)

In chronological order from least to most recent:

Honey Scented Summer Plants

Nourishing Herbal Milk Decoctions

Heart Healing

5 Herbal Power Tools for Fall 

The Revolutionary Act of Drinking (wild) Tea

Aromatic Herbs (and two easy recipes) 

October Apothecary (Pine Syrup!) and Enchanted Herbals

Crock Pot Ginger Oil

Roots and Seeds and You


Friday 16 September 2011

Announcing: Plant Journeys Herbal Empower-Mentorship!



Today is a chance to let nature remind you that we are not separate. 


How will you take that chance? 


~~~~~~~~~


Dearest Readers, 




For the very first time in the herstory of my own plant journeys and teaching, I'm offering you a personal, long term commitment on this path.


**I'm SO deeply grateful** and excited to be able to bring to you this service and to help facilitate your relationship with nature and your own herbal journey.


Read on for the juicy details, and I'll see you on the other side of the wall of green! 
Enrollment Closed! Please sign up for my free newsletter to stay in touch about future offerings. 


Yours,


Ananda


Sunday 11 September 2011

Moving Forward with Intention~September 11



Hello Everyone,
I wrote two poems after the momentous events of September 11, 2001.
The first one I wrote within days of September 11th and the second one about a year later.

May we all move forward with peace in our hearts.

Green Blessings, Julie

It was a morning like any other,

I crouched in front of my heater,
I remember a dream I had right before I woke

Lovers were intertwined in the mud,
In the rubble along a flowing river
It was my mother's call that alerted me to the tragic plane crashes

I was in shock I was afraid and excited
It was, after all, an awakening.

It was a mourning like no other
An incredible sadness lay heavy in my body.

I sought information from the radio internet

I sought my own true nature for wisdom

I felt myself rise up out of my grief
And follow the path of my dreams


The path is filled with possibilities and road blocks.
"Pray for peace" my email message read.
"We must destroy the evil" I heard him say.
"Extend compassion empathy to everyone involved." he wrote
"God Bless America" everywhere I look.
"Love is the answer to every question." She sang.


And a voice sings out in me strong and clear.

"Follow your heart's desire.

Do only what you are called to do.
Nothing more.
Feel everything strongly and thoroughly,

Let despair envelop you until you find possibility.

Let rage propel you to act without hesitation.
Let sadness bring you a last to peace within yourself."

And I cry,
"I love myself."

This poem was published in my column, The Wise Woman's Garden, in
The Beltane Papers, Journal of Women's Mysteries, Spring 2002





In the heart of hopelessness,
I found a new world.
In its sadness,
a river flowed in peace.
And in the center of all grieving,
a flower bloomed
into a joy
beyond all knowing.


May it be in Beauty.

Wednesday 7 September 2011

Healing through the Heart ~ Recognition and Activation

I stand rooted in my power.

There is so much heart work happening in the world today. If I think too long about it, or dare to watch a piece of news, I am overcome with grief, anger, disbelief, and hopelessness. The disconnection between our human bodies and the experience of love in its endless expressions is a gaping wound of humanity. We lack connection to our creator; both our sense of an invisible spiritual creator as well as our very real source of life and nourishment, mother earth.

Love employs healthy patterns, choices, and boundaries.

Many of us feel this pain in both its aspects, and many of us are re-connecting to healing ways of the heart. There is nowhere left to go, really, but inward to find our divine centers and to create a way of being in the world that reflects a deep, compassionate source of love. The barbed wires and flames and whirlpools we encounter, must be greeted with respect and an acknowledgement of its powerful ability to strengthen our heart muscle.

Love is the root of all healing.

Understanding the magnitude of our heart’s ability to accurately guide us, we can lean toward our intuition as a partner on the journey instead of running away from perceived fear warnings. As we move closer to ourselves and our process of centering, grounding, and feeling, we create a type of resilient security that allows for more authentic love to become available again. Moving towards our emotions and our Selves can be tremendously scary, and monumentally liberating. Creating daily practices of self-care which cultivate strength and safety are of immense and lasting value.

I am open to beauty.
I am an expression of Nature’s beauty.
My body is a story of beauty.


I breathe in from the trees, the ocean, the wind, the sweet inspiration of fire. I breathe out that which I no longer need, that which does not serve me. I retain in my blood the innate wisdom of my body, my knowing heart, and my ancestors. I bid farewell to invasive, inauthentic advice towards me. I listen intently to my body: Heart, I am listening, speak. Limbs, I give gratitude for your hard and loyal work, thank you. Lungs, you speak my truths and you have my permission to sing. Back, spine, organs, you are my beautiful inner dance of stretching and rhythm and change, I feed you and I am listening. Blood, you are my waters and I give to you liquids; waters, teas, soups, and minerals, I float upon you. Womb, mystery of eternity and connection: I am here. I am listening.




Healing is the act of nourishing wholeness.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Herbal Blessings!
~Ananda