Rolling In and Rolling Out

In intuitive philosophy, there is a concept called involution. There is also the concept of evolution. Eastern philosphy sometimes refers to this a the Inbreath and the Outbreath of Brahma.

The idea of involution-evolution is multi-facted with one aspect being to perfect the relationship between life and form. 

Simplified, involution is Spirit becoming substance, wrapping itself in a form (a body), and using that form as a means of expression.

The word involution comes from the Latin"involvere". The prefix "In" meaning, in and "volvere" meaning, to roll. Therefore, involution means "to roll into, envelop, and to surround". 

The Latin roots of evolution are, "ex" meaning, out and "volvere" which we learned means "to roll". Evolution has to do with the process of unrolling.

The process of evolution is a process of identification. First, we identify with the physical body, then with our emotions, then with our mind, then with our personality, with our Soul, with our Divine Self, and ultimately we re-identify with Source and oneness. Essentially, that is what evolution is about. And it's what the Spiritual path is about.

So, what does this have to do with our everyday life?

Everything.

The purpose of life is evolution. To evolve means to become less matter and more Spirit. We become that by being committed to daily improvements. This is when real growth happens!

Improvement happens when we watch our selves each day. Observe your thoughts, your emotions, your words, your actions, your moods, your haits--be determined taht you are going to correct some deficiency or do something with greater discipline, care and mastery than you have ever done it before. All it takes is consistent regularity, and before you know it, you will have made 365 improvements!

Every accomplishment, each improvement we make is a step up the ladder of evolution. Why? Because an improvement, in essence, is a subtle raise in frequency, and as we steadily raise our frequency, we evolve out of a dense spectrum into a high frequency one.

Evolution is a step-by-step process. Every deliberate improvement in our thinking, feeling, speaking and acting creates change in the fabric of our bodies through which our consciousness operates. Each good thought, kind deed, pleasant word, or positive goal adds strength to our auric field. Therefore, a commitment to small, daily improvements literally rearranges the constitution of our bodies at a cellular level, increasing the frequency of our auric field.

The higher the frequency of your energy or vibration, the lighter you feel in your physical, emotional, and mental bodies. You experience greater personal power, clarity, pleace, love, and joy. You have little discomfort or pain in your physical body, and your emotions are easily dealth with. 

When you raise your vibration, you create an energetic environment where low density, low vibrational energies are unable to be and function. Low density or low vibrational energies can be negative emotions and thoughts, attachments, imprints or entities. Raising your vibration makes these lower energies no longer part of your reality.

As low vibration energies are reduced, and high, positive ones increase, you will feel more alert, vital and focused. You get a boost to your sense of well-being and wholeness. Things that you once felt were lacking or missing are replaced with a stronger and grounded sense of being.

The higher your vibration, the more expansive you aura and energies become. You take up more space and feel the underlying energetic connections with all of existence more deeply and profoundly. You tend to feel and experience a more palpable oneness with all. Your connection with Mother Earth is strenghtened and you are more grounded which may, in time, reduce over thinking and a feeling of separateness from life.

Raising your vibration is as simple as breathing in and out, deeply and with intention. Place your hand on your abdomen. Invite the vital life force that travels upon breath, into your body. When we breathe down into our bellies and fill ourselves with breath all the way up to the top of our lungs, we are inviting fresh oxygen into each one of our cells. This, in turn, nourishes every system in our bodies. And we stimulate a bundle of nerves at the base of the spine which engage the parasympathetic nervous system, thus inducing relaxation.

Visitors

 

Recently our home was blessed by a doe raising her speckled twins in the woods around the small lake out back. She taught them how to make their way up through the back of the houses, to our garden and the neighbor's pear and plum orchard. Delight filled us more than frustration the times we discovered squash blossoms or pea flowers nibbled from their stems.

It was a hard blow the morning I discovered the doe's body at the head of our drive. My thoughts immediately flew to her relatively new born, still-spotted twins and how they would survive. We would see them near the road and toss them apples, carrots, and pears to lead them back down to the safety of our garden and orchard. Back to where they could smell the woods and the water of the lake beyond. 

They were always together. Side-by-side the fawns nibbled grass, fallen fruit, rose hips, berries and more squash blossoms. We would notice their hoof prints in our carrot bed and along the dirt path to the lake. They drank from our fountain and bird bath while our cat chattered to them, doing his best to make new freinds. At night we could hear them rustling in the brush behind our home, bedding down in camouflaged safety of the salal and oregon grape.

Once while quietly tending to garden tasks and lost in my thoughts, I felt a presence. I slowly look over my shoulder and there they were--less than six feet away, probably wondering when I'd stop blocking their access to the raspberries.

Our hearts broke again the day we discovered one of the fawns fell to the same fate its mother had. I gently carried its body into the woods, placing water and berry leaves in its mouth and covering its body with roses. Deer have been a significant aspect of my life for as long as I can remember and the unnatural death of one, cuts deeply into my essence. 

Several times throughout my life, deer has presented its graciousness and beauty to me in personal, memorable and often potent ways.

When I was seven years old, my uncle once found me on the edge of the woods near his riverside cabin in upstate New York. I was bent at the waist exchanging breath with a young fawn while its mother alertly stood nearby watching over us. Soft against my cheeks, the fawn's breath smelled like freshly cut grass mixed with spruce and cedar bark. Mine probably smelled of apple slices, American cheese and Cheerios. 

As my uncle neared, the doe positioned her body in front of us and firmly nudged her fawn towards the trees. The young deer bound into the brush and the doe looked at me surely wondering why I had not hopped behind the salal as well. 

I remember my uncle stopped, lowering his nearly seven-foot frame into a squat.

 "So, you've adopted that one?", he softly said to the deer while nodding towards me.

The doe turned her head toward me, then back to him.

He smiled at me, his little niece perfectly happy to live with the deer, and shook his head. And the doe, deciding I would not make a very smart deer, turned and walked into the trees, her side gently brushing against my back as she departed.

 

    

WELCOME GUEST BLOGGER, CALLIOPE MUSE

There are issues of low urgency and low importance. Like starting to feel a little hungry. (Global warming is not one of them.) Then there are issues of high urgency and high importance, like putting out that house fire. (Rising sea levels don’t quite cut the mustard.) Then we come to the grey areas. A cut finger needs to be dealt with pronto! Yet, usually, it isn’t a big deal if that doesn’t happen- high urgency, low importance (Overfishing and deforestation get grouped this way). 

We all have to work together. This is what I postulate. I'm focusing my lens on the idea of planetary sustainability. Specifically the continued survival of all life on this planet. It's on of those issues that is of, apparently, low urgency (as far as immediacy goes--Earthlings are amazingly short-sighted) while at the same time as issue of highly critical importance. The highest. At least to me. I will attempt to explain why.

Our very existence is an absolute miracle. Even the scientists who "discovered" DNA compare its complexity to the odds of ending up with a functional jumbo jet after a tornado rips through a junkyard. Another metaphor I've heard associates millions of individul letters randomly coalescing into an updated version of the OED (Oxford English Dictionary). Our uniqueniess should be our most cherished and celebrated gift. We may not be alone in the universe, but that doesn't detract from just how special we all are.

We must not waste this magical gift. Nature abhors waste. Perhaps that language isn't strong enough. Nature doesn't tolerate waste--in the least. Everything is eventually reused and/or recycled, down to an elemental level. Everything. I can't help repeating. All we've ever said or done has a cumulative effect. Even our smallest choices create ripples that add up and have impact. They matter. So what does appreciating our individualtiy involve, specifically? How do we show our gratitude and thankfulness for such a monumental, praiseworthy occurrence? A seemingly impossible task but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try.

We have to prioritize all that sustains us. It won't be enough to simply reduce environmental pollution and the damage it causes. We have to take responsibility and repair any damage. More than preserving habitat, we need to see, nurture and produce new habitat. When needed it appears we are capable of some forethought. Climate change has gone mainstream and some demanded action has been taken. More sacrifices still need to be made. By all. So there it is. We, the collective ,"All-omitting no one". have to work. It's much too late to be optional. Success won't come easily, we're going to have to sweat it. Together, we will sink or swim as a team. Pulling synergistically, in the same direction without exemption. We all have to work together. We're approaching the critical mass needed to give the healing process, for our self-created problem, its due. By respecting the universal life force and associated energies by honoring the golden rule, perhaps we'll learn that we haven't yet passed the point of no return. To inspire myself and others, I wrote a poem: 

I need your help to be a mountain mover

You push I'll pull let's turn the whole thing over

It's just a few words, but the little things matter

The worlds at stake, no time to get fatter

I look for peace, I search the wide world over

Ya gonna tell me I'm the only lover?

Not gon' have it served up on a platter

I'm actin' now, not see my future shattered

We can, we can, we can, we can

We will, we will, we will 

It's coming folks, We are the future choosers

We gotta lead, can't let the Earth be losers

I believe. I know every little thing matters

Or would you rather spend your time in tatters?

We all can see that the planet's our Mother

She's gone so foul, now it's time to hug Her.

Keep workin' hard 'til the storm gets over

Whenit's all done, be time to recover

We can, we can, we can, we can

We will, we will, we will

We can, we can, we can, we can

We will, we will, we will 

With gratitude & appreciation for all my gifts, both recognized as well as those yet to be discovered. I Choose to make a distinction between good luck and good fortune. Only 1 is accidental...

The Oracle of Knotty Weave

The Oracle of Knotty Weave is a 52-card deck depicting images and landscapes inspired by Amanda Newsom's imagined world and given life through collaboration with author Amber Highland. Amanda's watercolor artwork brings users on a journey through eight unique landscapes, each filled with its own characters. The accompanying 101-page guidebook by Amber Highland, reveals the story behind Knotty Weave and shres insights from the world's previous travelers.

...mind the web.

Thank you, Jennifer for this ebullient look at The Oracle of Knotty Weave! 

Creating this unique oracle deck with Amanda Newsom was a joyous, creative passion project. To learn more about the deck, visit our web page. Limited 1st Edition copies of 

The Oracle of Knotty Weave are available for puchase at 7 Stones Publishing.

Throat Health for Immunity

 

A scarf has many health benefits and an ounce of prevention equals a pound of cure.

Being raised in a predominantly Bohemian and German family, "Es Zieht!" was a common exclamation uttered by grandparents and great-grandma. Suddenly I'd feel the back of my shirt collar flipped up, and a scarf or shawl being drapped over my shoulders with the words, "Be well, Liebchen." whispered as a kiss on top of my head.

German folklore's phobia of drafts aside, the neck is a vulnerable area in colder, windy times. And a scarf is a first defense against that chill. Even in the summer or in hot climates, a scarf is beneficial as you move from outdoor heat into cold air-conditioned buildings.

The change of seasons often leads to colds, aches, and pains in the neck, shoulders, and back. These conditions can wreak havoc on your immune system. Instead of looking for the latest over-the-counter remedy, consider a simple scarf.

A large scarf can provide warmth and protection for your neck and chest area. It can also be used to cover your nose and mouth which not only provides warmed air for your lungs, it's a quick face covering for honoring COVID prevention protocols.

A scarf can save you from sore throats and vocal strain by keeping muscles and blood vessels in that area warm. It can make a difference in your voice quality as well - somthing to keep in mind as people are more often regurlarly utilizing phones and video chats for work and personal communication. Wearing a scarf dilates blood vessels of the muscles surrounding the neck and shoulders. It increases the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles, alleviating aches and pains in those areas.

Approximately 70% or your total body heat escapes through your head and upper body. Your neck becomes similar to a radiator, allowing your body heat to escape through the thin skin of your throat.

In a study by Yale researchers, cells taken from airways were exposed to the common cold virus (rhinovirus), at either the core body temperature of 98.6, or the lower temperature of 91.4 degrees Fahrenheit. They found that the higher temperature resulted in greater production of interferon, which contols the immune response to viral infections, as well as greater stimulation of other compounds important for building immune response. As a result of the relatively impaired immune response at lower temperatures, the virus was more able to replicate.

Other research supports this idea. One study shows that we have reduced ability to clear particles such as cold-causing viruses form the nasal passages and trachea upon cold exposure. Another study shows that when exposed to cold, the activity of our white blood cells (which fight infections) decreases.

Traditional Chinese Medicine warns of wind and cold exposure. It advises that when outside, we cover the back of our neck as this area is particularly susceptible to wind and cold. The heat sensors in the base of the brain (upper neck) help to regulate temperature by sending signals to conserve heat when it's too cold. As a result, blood vessels as the surface of the body contract, including vessels in the respiratiory passages. Thus, there are fewer virus and bactria fighting while blood cells aound, making infection more likely, should any be around.

Yes, there is evidence that cold exposure can make us more susceptible to catching a cold. Avoiding cold exposure is wise practice (as is mindful physical distancing) particularly when we are more likely to catch a cold - i.e. when we are subject to increased stress, insufficient sleep, poor diet, or in the midst of a global pandemic. 

Be proactive about your health. Wear a scarf.

To support your throat health, boost your immunce system, or ease the discomfort if mild soreness sets in, try making a tea from ingredients that you most likely already have in your kitchen; lemon, ginger (root or ground), and honey.

Here's how my Nana made it:

To 4 cups boiling water add, 1 sliced and seeded lemon, 1 piece of ginger root (2-3in/5-7cm) also sliced

Steep 4 minutes

Strain 

Add 2 teaspoons honey, stir and sip with enjoyment

I am not a medical doctor. The information and suggestions presented should not be substituted for professional health care. 

Lung Health

Trauma, loss, grief, global pandemic, fires, smoke, reduced air qualtiy; these are current and recurring experiences for many of us during 2020 and 2021 that leave us struggling to pull relief and healing into our bodies and minds. I live in the knowing that all things are connected and I believe that the alignment of these incidents is no coincidence.  

The earth is hurting - gasping. And so are we.

By taking the time to administer mindfulness and care to ourselves, we are in turn sending that energetic medicine to the people around us as well as (and importantly to) the planet.

It is my hope that the following suggestions empower you to be pro-active for your health and thereby the health of every living thing.

(I am not a medical doctor and share these tidbits based on my own experience and those of my clients, friends, and family. Please always check with your health care professional before implementing changes to your diet or supplement use.)

If you are currently dealing with smoke from wildfires, live in a city, or industrial area these natural methods can support healing and healthy lungs and sinuses.

AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION

Take precautions to stop or reduce the amount of particulates that enter your lungs.

Reduce the frequency and amount of time spent outdoors. When going outside, wear at least a N95 mask. These prevent 95% of the tiniest particulates from entering your lungs. 

GIVE YOUR LUNGS A PEP TALK!

Outloud, tell your lungs and self that your body is made for healing. Let your lungs know that you will do what you can to support their healthy function. 

Place your hands over your chest, breath slowly and speak words of gratitude and love to your lungs. 

TRY A CUP OF NETTLE TEA

Nettle tea is a natural antihistamine that helps to calm over sensitive airways and soothe inflammed tissues. 

DRINK GREEN TEA!

The antioxidants present in green tea have been shown to reduce inflammation in the lungs and may help to reduce long lasting, harmful affects of smoke inhalation. 

A study of 1,000 people living in Korea showed that individuals who drank at two cups of green tea per day had better lung function than those who drank none. 

***Bonus points for tasseomancy practice!***

EAT FOODS THAT REDUCE INFLAMMATION

(I've listed some of my favorites.)

Blueberries - Blueberries are one of the richest antioxidant (flavonoids and polyphenols) containing fruits. Adding them to your diet can help protect your lungs from damage.

Carrots - This vegetable contains beta-carotene which has anti-properties and can help heal mucous membranes.

Elderberries - Anti-inflammatory flavonoids in the berries keep airways functioning effectively. Studies have shown that ingesting elderberry tonic or syrup can help prevent respiratiory infections. 

Garlic - Easily added to salads and soups, or eaten roasted, garlic reduces phelgm and reduces inflammation.

Honey - Honey is an antioxidant and antibaterial agent. It is taken orally to treat coughs and used topically on burns and wounds to promote healing.

Pears - This tasty fall fruit supports the immune system and reduces phelgm production.

Tumeric - Acts as an expectorant helping to cleanse the lungs and reduces irritant-caused inflammation responses. 

Walnuts - This nut contains high levels of alpha-linolenic acid, a type of omega-3 fatty acid that is known for its anti-inflammatory properties.

STRENGTHEN YOUR HEART CHAKRA

This chakra is located at the center of your chest and has influence on the heart, lungs, thymus gland, and ribs. The lungs represent your ability to exchange vital life force energy through breath. Inadequate breath causes the lungs to depress which in turn, causes feelings of sadness and repression. 

One way to address and stimulate the heart chakra is by wearing the color green. Wrap yourself in a comforting green blanket, wear a green scraf, wear or carry green colored stones and crystals. 

Another method is to recite mantras such as: I release all grief to the Divine. I forgive myself. I forgive others. I release all bitterness and resentment. I project compassion. I accept and share healing. 

I encourage you to put at least one lung/respiratory support practice into place. You will benefit personally, and the energy set into our collective experience will benefit the earth and each of its inhabitants. 

Stay well. 

Stay safe.

Think of others.

Wear a mask.

As always, I wish you peace and grace.

~ Amber 

Seasonal Support

Healers of ancient cultures were astute observers of the natural world. They noted that the seasons and environment directly affect the various organs and meridians of the body. They observed that as the year progressed through the seasons, the body became more vulnerable to external factors like heat, cold, dampness and dryness. By understanding what seasonal transitions represent and including herbs and foods in our diets, we can maintain optimal health throughout the year.

Our ancestors depended on the bounty of the seasons to fill their plates. Diets consisted of what could be grown, foraged or hunted. Every season offered valuable contributions to the larder. Now we have the luxury of visiting a grocery store to stock our pantries with just about anything we want at any time. But there is more to eating seasonally than convenience; a seasonal diet is also connected with the harmonic nature of your overall health, your body, and your internal organs.

Preparing foods seasonally is linked to the changing of our digestive strength and needs which takes place each season. For instance, winter is traditionally a time to slow down, and meals often consist of warm, hearty stews, broths and soups with root vegetables. These foods feed the kidneys and the kidney meridian. Nourishing these areas helps to reduce emotinal fear, bolster a sense of stability, increase nutrients for bone health, and improves waste elimination.

A basic tenet of Traditional Chinese Medicne (TCM) is that each season is associated with a color related to the types of food eaten (green for spring, for example), as well as specific body organs and a taste that stimulates the organs. In short, our bodies are connected to the rhythms of seasonal cycles, so eating with the seasons is a natural methods of maintaining, detoxifying, and strengthening the body and its organs. 

According to TCM, five seasons are experienced and each corresponds with an element and organ/meridian system:

spring - wood - liver - green

summer - fire - heart - red

late summer - earth - spleen

autumn - metal - lungs and large intestine - white

winter - water - kidneys - black

Winter in TCM is associated with the kidneys which hold our body's most fundamental energy. It represents the slower, inward movement of our body's and mind's functions, this makes it an optimal time to nourish and replenish our kidneys. Foods that specifically warm and noursih the kidneys include; black beans, kidney beans, chestnuts, walnuts, bone broths, lamb, chicken, parsley and dark leafy greens. Goji berry (Gou Qi Zi), astragulus (Huang Qi), Chinese date (Da Zao), and marshmallow root (Yao She Kui) are beneficial herbs to supplement your winter diet and support kidney wellness.

Spring is the season of wood and the liver. Spring is the time for growth and renewal and the climate becomes windy. As spring approaches, we should consume light foods that help trasition into this season; young plants, sprouts, leafy greens, plums, wheat, ry, and barley flavored with rosemary, dill and basil. Herbs like milk thistle (silibum marianum) and Chai Hu (radix bupleuri) are ideally suited to liver health and its associated tissues - the eyes, tendons and ligaments.

Summer is the season of fire and the heart, the season of development, joy, activity, and creativity Cooling and hydrating food suited for transition into the heat include; warermelon, apricot, cantaloupe, mung beans, bamboo, lentil and chicken. Cooling herbs like chrysanthemum (Ju Hua), and mint (Bo He) make a lovely and hydrating summer tea.

Late summer is the fifth season recognized by Traditional Chinese Medicine. Its element is earth and its organ is the spleen. Its environment influence is humidity and dampness. And it is associated with digestion and nourishment. Foods that support the spleen are rice, millet, dates, ginger and beef. Herbs like poria mushroom (Fu Ling), jujube (Da Zao) and licorice root (Gan Cao) make a wonderful earth-nourishing tea.

Autumn is a season associated with wind and dryness. Therefore, it is important to cut back on raw foods and consume slow-cooked moisturizing foods such as apples, pork, pears, radish, cabbage, sweet pototoe, chilli, miso, almonds, onion, eggs, pickle, yogurt, plums, horseradish, grapes, ginger, cinnamon and cardamom. Ginseng root (Hu Tang), astragulus (Huang Qi), schisandra (Wu Wei Zi), and cordyceps mushroom (Dong chong Xia Cao) are the top Chinese herbs used for strengthening and protecting the lungs. 

Here in the Northern Hemisphere, we are in the Late Summer to Autumn seasonal change. And, in addition to supporting our bodies dietarily, I suggest using this slowing time to bolster your mind and spirit. Learning to honor the changing needs of your body within the cycles of the seasons is a powerful way to reduce the risk of common seasonal concerns of body, mind, and spirit.

As mentioned above, TCM associates the lung and large intestine with autumn. During this season, they are the most vulnerable.

The lungs are associated with "taking in the new" and emotionally correspond with; grief, sadness, and attachment. When the flow of (and through) the lungs is balanced one can experience enhanced; clarity of thought, positive self-image, and surrending to and allowing inner peace and joy to exist regardless of circumstances.

The large intestine "releases the old" and emotionally corresponds with; inability to let go, uptightness, stubborness, stagnation, a negative outlook or mindset, and how we choose to flow through life. When the large intestine energy is balanced, one can experience increased; sense of relaxation, releasing of what no longer serves them. flowing with life vs. resisting it, and focusing on the day-to-day.  

Since autumn is a natural time of letting go and getting organized (look at the trees dropping leaves and animals organizing food and shelter for hibernation), a lack of awareness and action in this regard can lead to feelings of stagnation and lack of harmony with life's flow. Both of which can affect the health of your lungs and large intestine.

By increasing your self-awareness and taking action, you can ease into fall and winter reassured by the reserve of health, happiness, and strength you have created. 

As always, I wish you peace and grace.

~ Amber