ROOT CHAKRA MEDITATION

Merry Meet to All of You!

I have just found this lovely meditation concerning the root chakra on you tube.
Watch, learn and simply enjoy!



Bright Blessings,

Ilona

THE POWER OF LETTING GO

Merry Meet to All of You!

Lisa and me have been looking into tapping and EFT recently (Lisa's attending a course shortly, so excited!)and I have just watched this clip of Robert Smith, who is one of the experts in the field.

While I was watching it, it dawned on me that the message he tries to bring over really holds great truth and wisdom, it is all about the power of letting go, in order to create something new and better and be happy in yourself. Due to some personal stuff going on for me at the moment, it was exactly what I needed to hear, and i think it holds relevant insight for everyone, even if your not interested in or practising EFT. So, have a look and think about it, and most of all:

START CREATING YOUR OWN HAPPINESS!

">

Autumn Blessings & Happiness

Ilona

Learn the basics of EFT

EFT - Emotional Freedom Technique - is a very useful tool for self-healing in terms of clearing blocks, pain and negative emotions. You will be able to try it out for yourself after watching this demonstration by Aila Accad, RN.

TIP OF THE DAY - ELDERFLOWER

Merry Meet to All of You!

It's the time of the year again, where the elder trees start to bloom, and there are some good reason to go foraging for them.

Apart from being of lovely taste, elder flowers, and later the fruits, are full of natural goodness.

The flowers contain tannins, potassium, phenols and flavanoids, while the fruits are packed with folic acid and vitamins A and C.

Elder is a good choice to treat colds and flu, because it promotes sweating in the body and so helping it getting rid of toxins (summer detox, anyone). Elderberry extract has been medically proven to inhibit certain strains of the flu virus and if taken in the onset of colds and flu, can noticeably speed up your recovery.

You can simply make an infusion from 5mg of dried elder flowers to one cup of water, leave it to infuse for 5-10 min and drink three cups a day.

Apart from being great flu fighters, elder flowers also make a good anti-inflammatory mouthwash to sooth painful gums and inflamed throats.

Simply put 50g of flowers to 1 litre of boiling water, boil for another 5 min and use 4-6 times a day, especially after meals.

On top of these health benefits, elder is also a plant steeped in magick, which I blogged about on the Herbal Chalice Blog:

http://theherbalchalice.blogspot.com/2009/06/tip-of-week-magick-elder.html

Go on, get out there, go mad for elder!

Summer Blessings,

Ilona

TIP OF THE DAY - A GOOD BOOK

Merry Meet to All!

You might have noticed that the main theme of our next chalice meeting is "Kitchen Cupboard Magick", e.g. using everyday kitchen ingredients for magic and/or healing purposes, so if you would like to find out more, pop along!

If you haven't got the time here is a good book for you to read, which shows you how to utilise your kitchen for magick purposes.

It's called:


and gives you plenty of ideas and inspiration, from candle and incense making, body care, feasting in tune with and cooking for the Wheel of the Year and its' Sabbats, potions and healing remedies. It also gives you tips on how to buy, store and use your herbs and what equipment you will need.

All in all, it's a great book, well written and easily accessible, even to the greenest novice.

So, if you have chance, take five, make a cuppa and bury your noses in some kitchen Magick!

Warm Blessings,

Ilona

TIP OF THE DAY - A GOOD CUPPA

Merry Meet to All!

As nice as spring is, it can be a pesky time for colds and such, can't it?

I for one have a quite nasty cold, which did me the honour to turn into a horrible ear infection.

Being a good girl, I went to the doctor for a course of antibiotics (as you should), but this hasn't stopped me from complementing them with some herbal remedies from ... my kitchen cupboard.

If you suffer from ear ache or discharge, one of the easiest complementary herbal medicines you can turn to is a good cuppa to help you fight the infection and reduce inflammation - in this case rosemary tea.

Simply put 2-4g of dried rosemary in a cup of boiling water and let it infuse for about 10 minutes. Drink three cups a day after your meals.

Rosemary is a very powerful herb with many medicinal properties. It contains flavanoids which stimulate the blood flow and as such can be used to improve memory and concentration as well as easing headaches. Rosemary is also beneficial to digestion, on which is has a calming effect, and can be taken if you suffer from stomach cramps, bloating or constipation. It also acts as a detoxing agent to help clean the liver.

In the above mentioned case of ear infection, as well as bronchial, nose and throat infections, it acts as an effective anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial agent.

In external use, you can dilute rosemary oil with a neutral oil (eg sunflower) and use it as a rub to help with muscular and rheumatic pain and inflammation. An infusion into the bathwater also eases rheumatism.

Because of the powerful properties of rosemary, it should not be used on children and if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, make sure the amount taken does not exceed the one normally found in your diet.

For further information on rosemary and recipes for aspects of it in magick got to:

http://www.gardensablaze.com/HerbRosemaryMed.htm

So, next time you suffer from ear, nose or chest infections, why not try a good cup of rosemary tea to help you on your way (don't forget though, if symptoms persist, always go to your doctor!).

Spring Blessings and Good Health

Ilona

TIP OF THE DAY - FOR THE PICKING

Merry Meet to all!

Adding to the Tip of the Day about wild garlic foraging, this is the time of the year to start foraging for stinging nettles as well.

The traditional time for harvesting is May/June, before the flowering, but the very young and tender nettle shoots coming through right now are lovely and subtle in flavour.

The leaves of the nettles contain both iron and vitamin C, as well as calcium, potassium and silicic acids. You can also harvest the roots of the nettle plant, also I would recommend this later in the year, when they are stronger, so I will concentrate on the benefits you get from the leaves.

The easiest way to use nettle leaves is to just make a fresh nettle tea, by simply infusing the leaves (which are best slightly bruised in a mortar and pestle) in some hot water for 7-10 minutes. Nettle tea is great for stimulating the appetite, providing iron and fighting fatigue (why not swap your normal cuppa in the morning for some 'nettle zing'?).

The components of the leaves can also help against arthritic and rheumatic pain - my grandmother used to wrap nettle plants round her ankles for this purpose, but don't worry, it needn't be this painful, as nettle tea is also a natural diuretic, helping with the elimination of sodium and urea from the body, which eases the above conditions. Nettle leaves also act as a powerful anti-inflammatory agent.

If you are not a fan of the taste of nettle tea, you can also add nettles to homemade veg juices, just put them through your juicer with everything else you normally use for juicing.

As well as for all these health benefits, nettles just make a lovely ingredient in cooking, for salads or soups, even for flavoured wine.

Look out for tasty nettle recipes coming up!

Spring Blessings,

Ilona

TIP OF THE DAY - A GOOD BOOK

Merry Meet to all of you!

As a follow up of the Tip of the Day - Clear the Clutter, I would like to recommend a really good book to you, which gives valuable tips on how to create a holistic environment in your home.

It's called: "The Holistic Home" by Maxine Fox and was published in 2006.

It is a really comprehensive guide, taking into account all areas of your environment, from the very bricks and mortar of your home to your physical and spiritual needs within it. It gives tips on healthy living, how to use natural products for cleaning (not only your house, but yourself as well), how to integrate the principles of Feng Shui and how, in general, to create a positive balanced environment, which is in tune with the natural patterns and needs of your body and soul.

I can really recommend this book, it is easy to read and follow and most of the tips and techniques are practical in everyday life and not expensive.

So, if you would like to know more about how to create a holistic home, click on the link below....and get reading!

'>http://

Warm Blessings
Ilona

TIP OF THE DAY - LEMON WATER

This is an ancient Ayur Vedic tip to help you start your day the right way. It's one of the best ways to cleanse, detox and energise quickly in the morning.

Squeeze the juice from half an organically grown lemon into a cup of warm (not hot) water. Drink up! Ideally you should do this first thing in the morning to revitalise.

Lemon is an acidic fruit but it actually helps your body become more alkaline, which is very positive for the immune system. Other benefits of lemon water are:

* Improves digestion
* Cleanses and stimulates the liver and kidneys
* Contains the minerals calcium, magnesium and potassium

* Contains vitamin C
* Cleanses the skin from within

It is always good to start the day properly hydrated, and don't forget to keep drinking plenty of water through the day to keep your energy levels up!

Bright Blessings,

Lisa

http://tarothealingbylisa.blogspot.com/